The Longest Journey
by claihm solais
Summary: When Ranma resolved his feelings for the girls, he thoughts his troubles had ended. Turns out they just begun. When the world seems to come apart, Ranma must find his way home where his heart is ... with Kasumi. [Sequel to For the Sake of the Art]
1. Chapter 1: The New Champion

**The Longest Journey**

_A Ranma Ibunnoichi Fanfiction story_

_By Patrick Nguyen Huu_

**Disclaimer**: Ranma ½ belongs to Rumiko Takahashi – I don't own anything!.

**Summary**: Sequel to: "For the Sake of the Art" After the events of "For the Sake of the Art," Ranma continues his journey. And about 3 years later, destiny is about to catch up to him once more...

Author's Note: Well, guys, here it is. The beginning of my sequel to "For the Sake of the Art." I'm sorry I haven'tupdated on the Ranma/Kaguraarc of FtSotA yet, for those who've been waiting for it, but inspiration just won't come…yet. It seems like I'm getting ideas for anything BUT that arc (including long-forgotten stories I didn't know I still had). This chapter is a little short and abrupt, but I hope you enjoy it nonetheless. And yes, there's a point to it. And no, I'm not doing the mind-control spiel again. And yes, you're allowed to flame me if I do that or time travel again. Thanks!

P.S.: Before any of you say anything…it's set around three years after FtSotA, so I'm not sure how I'll handle character development yet…I'm really averse to long flashbacks. I'll see what I come up with.

Arc One: To Challenge the Sun

Chapter One: The New Champion

Shouting and cheering could be heard throughout the village. It was spring, and the last snow of the winter had melted, leaving the ground clear and ready for the farmers to work upon. In Joketsuzoku, the ancestral home of the Chinese tribal amazons, it was time for the annual martial arts tournament. And this year, it seemed the recently rebuilt village would be witness to a number of impressive fights.

"Winner by knockout, Shampoo!" The judge declared as the amazon waved at the crowd from her perch upon the challenge log. The victor was a stunning beauty of a woman, her long lavender hair framing her soft features, and her eyes sparkled with life and a quiet intelligence that seemed to laugh at being alive. As she climbed down from the log, the judge bowed to her as was tradition, and she returned it, before he announced, "The last fight will commence now – Ukyo," he pronounced the Japanese name with a bit of difficulty in Mandarin, "and Pa Fum."

The two girls leapt upon the suspended log, and bowed at each other, then the crowd. Ukyo smiled at her opponent as she unholstered her weapon of choice from her back, holding the giant spatula in guard position as her opponent withdrew a single broadsword, its blade carved with intricate designs. Bowing towards each other, the two fighters waited for the signal to begin. At the shrill whistle, they leapt into action.

Ukyo ducked low, swiping her spatula sideways to knock away her opponent's feet. Perfume leapt over the weapon, bringing her own down to block it. Metal hit metal in a ringing parry, and the amazon jammed her sword into the ground, her right hand leaving its hilt to deluiver a powerful blow to her opponent's throat. Ukyo turned her head to the side, the air pressure from the knife-hand severing a strand of her chestnut hair. In retaliation, the Japanese girl flicked her wrist, turning the spatula so that its broad side flipped over the sword's blade, and smashed it sidelong into Perfume.

The amazon turned away, rolling with the blow, coming to a stop at the very edge of the challenge log. She smirked at her opponent, and closed her eyes for an instant, before they flew open, her irises narrowed in concentration as a yellow aura of ki condensed around her form. The light solidified until it was a solid yellow glow that surrounded her, and she raised her blade into striking position, shoulder high, tip pointed at Ukyo's throat.

The other girl copied her opponent's smirk, raising her own weapon into a defensive stance. An instant later, a silvery-blue aura sprang to life around her, as well. Unlike the amazon's glow, Ukyo's aura grew into a burning flame, flickering high into the air as she let go her control over her ki. It wrapped itself around her, writhing like an ethereal, living being.

On an unspoken command, both rushed at each other, their respective battlecries resounding in the air. The two combatants met in a flurry of blows, exchanging strikes and counters at a pace most spectators found hard to follow. Ukyo leaned away from a horizontal slash, dropping onto her back and rearing up in a snap kick that would have catapulted Perfume off the log; only, the amazon had turned her forward lunge into a somersault, tucking into a roll and landed in a handstand, flipping upright effortlessly.

Ukyo righted herself, her spatula held diagonally across her body as she eyed her opponent. A quick sideswing made Perfume back off, and Ukyo spun the hilt of her weapon around the back of her hand, leading in with a jump kick. It went wide as Perfume leapt up, jamming her sword into the support poles that held the challenge log, using it to cling to the pole. A vault brought Ukyo into striking distance, and a simple downward swing forced the amazon to let go and drop back to the log.

Perfume ducked a series of swings, before striking back, stabbing forward and taking two quick steps towards Ukyo in one smooth motion. "Your weapon is so large you can only swing it sideways or down. Very…" she jammed the hilt of her broadsword down on Ukyo's wrist, forcing her to release the hold she had on her weapon, "easy to read."

To her surprise, the amazon found her finishing strike evaded, and glanced down to see an incoming heel. Even though she leaned back to avoid taking the brunt of the assault, the amazon felt pain well up in her chin where the kick had connected, and she staggered back. "That's why I learned fighting without it," the brunette grinned as she cracked her knuckes. Chuckling, Perfume switched her blade to her right hand, and began whirling it through the air, the massive blade whistling around her as easily as a feather.

"Let's go," they both muttered as they charged again. Tossing her spatula into the air, Ukyo threw a series of rapid punches at her opponent, before flipping over Perfume and catching her spatula in time to catch a downward swing on the hilt of her weapon. To her surprise, Perfume's aura condensed into the blade, and the metal hilt of her spatula began bending inward. Letting go of the deforming weapon, Ukyo rolled away to avoid the strike, her spatula clattering to the ground below.

Tossing a quick glance at the weapon, she discarded any thought of using it again and backed away, dodging two quick thrusts from Perfume. The amazon suddenly bowed to her, raising her sword in a silent salute, before she disappeared before her eyes.

The rustle of cloth behind her alerted Ukyo to her opponent's presence, just moments before she fell unconscious. Perfume sheathed her blade and bowed towards her fallen opponent, before smiling and carrying the girl off the log even as the referee declared her the victor and announcing that the final round of he tournament would take place at sundown.

V------------------V

The final fight of the tournament was heralded with as much enthusiasm as a crowd of warrior women could muster, and the area around the challenge log was filled with spectators who had come to watch their finest martial artists battle for the title of the best. Thunderous roaring from the hundred-odd women and men filled the air as the two competitors strode through their ranks, to stand before the challenge log.

"The last round of this year's martial arts tournament will be fought between Pa Fum and Xian Pu," the referee announced, as the two young women bowed towards each other, then the audience. "The fight will commence on my signal. Are you ready?" At their confirming nods, the referee held up a hand and the fighters leapt onto the log. "Begin!"

Shampoo eyed her opponent warily. She knew Perfume by reputation, and had seen the girl practice forms with her giant broadsword she had never seen before, but knew to be dangerous. Add to the fact that she had taken out Ukyo in a single, well-aimed blow to a sleep shiatsu point, faster than her friend had been able to react, and Shampoo knew she was facing a very dangerous opponent. The lavender-haired girl shifted into a defensive stance, her twin bonbori held before her protectively as Perfume advanced, her broadsword whistling around her, singing in the air.

With a yell, Perfume charged, her sword leading the way as if to impale her target. Shampoo leapt upwards, soaring above her opponent's head and kicked out downwards. Her foot met metal as Perfume brought her sword around in an arc, deflecting the blow. Flicking the blade upwards and towards the amazon in the air, she caught Shampoo off-guard, and all she could do was raise her bonbori to block to strike.

With a rasp, the metal blade slid along the handle of the mace, finding purchase at the spot where the head met the hilt, and sliced neatly through it. Dropping the now-useless piece of wood in her left hand, Shampoo righted herself on the log, spinning around and letting go of her other bonbori as she sent it flying at her opponent. Perfume easily deflected the makeshift projectile, but was unprepared for the series of attacks that followed it. Using the massive broadsword Perfume had swung in front of her face as cover, Shampoo closed in, with a yell of "_Kachuu Tenshin Amaguri-Ken_!"

As she unloaded punches at near-sonic speeds on her opponent, Shampoo could feel the majority of her blows ring off the blade of the sword, and knew she was in trouble. If Perfume would wield that massive sword at speeds high enough to counter most of her strikes, then she was a fearsome opponent, indeed.

Winding down from her attack, Shampoo kicked off the log in a backflip, coming to rest near its end, sliding into a ready stance. "You're not bad," Perfume commented, fingering a bruise on her cheek. "You, too," Shampoo replied in the same Mandarin dialect. "I can see why you were the village champion four years ago. But now, let me show you real speed."

With that, Perfume disappeared, and Shampoo's danger sense went off like air-raid sirens. Acting on instinct alone, and too quickly for her mind to comprehend, she launched herself upward and backward in a somersault, flipping high into the air. At the apex of her leap, she could see Perfume reappearing where she had stood moments before, sword extended into a flat thrust. "You loose," she mouthed, smirking, and Shampoo realized that her jump had carried her too far from the log to return.

_Not yet. I won't loose like this. If Ranma taught me one thing, it's to never give up._ A dark blue aura flared to life around the amazon, engulfing her as it whirled around her in a tornado of energy. "_Ryu Tsui Ame_!" The ki blast exploded from her cupped hands, striking the ground just off the log and propelling her even higher in the air. Twisting in mid-air, Shampoo touched down on the log, swinging around in a roundhouse kick the instant she landed. The air pressure from the blow cut deeply into the bark of the log where Perfume had been.

Ducking under a sideswing, Shampoo retracted her leg, kicking out again and catching Perfume's wrist, forcing her to release the massive sword with her right hand. Perfume leapt over the follow-up sweep and shoulder-charge, coming down in an axe-kick that caught Shampoo's shoulder. The girl wrapped her arms around the offending leg, using her sheer strength to wrench Perfume off-balance. Keeping her hold on the leg, Shampoo spun sideways, closing in with the precariously balancing Perfume, slamming a backfist into her cheek.

The force of the blow rocked Perfume off the log, but she jammed her sword into it, holding on to it. Using her arms to propel herself upwards, Perfume leapt headlong at Shampoo, and the two began trading unarmed blows. Turning away from a straight punch and spinning backwards, Shampoo smirked as she raised her left leg, balancing on her right. Her hands came up, held above her head and angled downwards, mimicking a crane as she stood.

Perfume took a tentative step forward, only to leap back towards her end of the log as Shampoo snapped out a series of kicks and sweeps that sent windblades and air pressure hurtling into the sturdy wood of the log. "Ancient Chinese Secret Technique," she smirked, "Even the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty feared it. _Kijuûki Ranbû_." Perfume's eyes narrowed as she dislodged her sword from the log. "_Izuna_!" Swinging the massive sword around her in an arc, Perfume released her ki into the blade. Shampoo's eyes widened as her senses picked up the distortion before her. Snapping out her left leg in a kick, she sent her own projectile to counter it, the windblade hurtling towards the oncoming attack.

It dissipated harmlessly against the leading edge of the distortion, forcing Shampoo to jump up to avoid it. The attack was wider than she though, and she hissed in pain as she felt it cut deeply into her right leg. Landing in a crouch on the log, she glanced upwards, to see Perfume rearing back for another attack. She leapt forward, tucking into a roll as she slid underneath the projectile, and barrelled right into her opponent, knocking both of them off balance.

V------------------V

Attentive eyes observed every move the fighters made, neutrally fielding comments and critique about their fighting styles and weaknesses in his mind. The storm blue eyes showed a hint of concern as Shampoo received her first wound, and widened in surprise when not a single drop of blood flew from the injury. _Izuna, eh? Looks like oyaji wasn't the only one who came up with that idea._

The fight between the two girls on the log had escalated into something more akin to a brawl, as they punched and kicked at each other from point-blank, but he could see very well that in such close quarters, Shampoo held the advantage. While she wasn't as adept at handling an armed opponent, she was the better unarmed fighter, and this close, Perfume couldn't bring her broadsword to bear effectively.

He watched calmly as Perfume forced the sword in between herself and Shampoo, then kicked the other amazon off of herself. His eyes narrowed as he caught a dangerous glint in Perfume's dark green eyes, a flash that vanished instantly, leaving him to wonder whether he had imagined it or not. "It is a fine fight, this year, isn't it?" He turned to the source of the voice, an ancient woman perching on top her her cane. "Yeah. Looks like they had some frustration to let loose after three years of rebuilding the village. It went faster than I thought it would."

"Never underestimate the Joketzusoku, son-in-law. I thought you'd learned that by now." The old woman chuckled. He shrugged, turning his attention back to the fight. "It certainly is more dangerous than the previous times," he commented. "Really? How so? Swords aren't all that much more lethal than spiked maces, or poisoned daggers." The woman cackled again, before continuing. "Shampoo can hold her own. She has the same drive you have to excel at martial arts, if not quite as much talent."

"Flattery will get you nowhere, old ghoul," the young man smirked as he turned his eyes upon the old woman. "It would have a couple of years ago. Damn you for growing up," she quipped, and he laughed along with her. "Shampoo's certainly gotten better since the last time I was here. Crane Dance, eh? Interesting technique. Why didn't you show me that one?" the old woman raised herself to her full height…which, even atop the staff, wasn't much, and shot him an odd look. "Right. Forget I asked." _Cologne doing stretches like that…that's one image I **don't** need._

A surprised gasp from the crowd drew their attention back towards the log.

V------------------V

Shampoo was kneeling, clutching a bleeding shoulder, and small rivulets of blood were flowing down the sides of the log. Perfume had an angry expression on her face, the amazon's beautiful features marred by a frown as she lifted her sword above her head. "Give up," she asked of her opponent in Madarin. "No," Shampoo uttered, propelling herself forward, shoulder-ramming Perfume. The two tumbled to a stop, catching themselves before they fell off the log.

She smirked as Perfume had to shake her head to clear it, and continued to press her assault, sending a rapid series of snap kicks at the other amazon. She would not give up, especially since she knew Ranma was watching. And there was no way in the world she would let him see her loose. He never gave up, and if she'd learned one lesson from him, it was that…and his stubbornness. Backing away to catch her breath and clutching her bleeding shoulder, she eyed Perfume warily. The girl was winding up to release another set of ki attacks at her, and Shampoo prepared to dodge them.

The instant Perfume launched the first projectile, Shampoo leapt forward, the blade of ki passing overhead and slicing through a strand of her hair as she bypassed it. Intending to slam a palm-strike into Perfume's solar plexus, aided by the momentum of her leap, Shampoo's eyes widened as the hilt of the sword swung around and across her cheek. Spitting blood as she came to rest at her end of the log, she glanced down to see droplets of blood on the bark of the log, making it a slicky trap for any who raced across it carelessly.

V------------------V

Perfume felt like screaming in frustration. She didn't want to hurt her sister amazon that badly, but she had refused to give up and yield. Neither had she gone down as peacefully as Ukyo had. But she had to win this tournament. She had been trained to be the best fighter of her generation, to become the strongest of the Joketzusoku, and she would claim that title at her first tournament. It was the one thing she had been raised for, and it was the one thing she strived for. There couldn't be any other outcome.

Which was why she found herself in a moral conflict at the moment. She had to win, every fiber of her being having been groomed for this fight; but she could see Shampoo would not give up as long as she was conscious, or even alive. The same desire to win, to claim the title as the best fighter burned in them both, even if for different reasons. For Perfume, it was her reason of existence. Nothing else mattered but fighting, and nothing less than perfection was accepted when it came to it.

The sword in her hand pulsed, and she felt a wave of calmness flood her mind. Her reasoning cleared, and she could focus again. Her pride won over, and she resolved to win this battle…no matter the cost. It was something she had to do. She was the best, and she would proove it, amazon sister or not. She never noticed the feeling of darkness lurking just beyond the clarity and power the sword offered her.

V------------------V

Watching in fascination as the fight grew more savage, he eyed the elder woman next to him. "Shouldn't you be stopping this? It's really getting serious now." Cologne shrugged. "That is the way of the Joketsuzoku. Win or die, you live by the sword. They are both prideful and strong. Not to mention stubborn. Both have their reasons for giving it their all; you should know best what it can drive you to do."

"Yeah, I know. Much too well…" he suppressed a shudder and continued to watch, flinching as Perfume flew back from a spinning heel kick, releasing her _Izuna_ as she went flying. Shampoo, in the condition she was in, barely managed to dodge it, earning herself another harsh cut along her forearm. Before she could recover, Perfume was back on her feet and back within range, lashing out with a stomp kick that crushed the wood of the log where Shampoo's foot had been a moment before.

The amazon smirked, and Shampoo's eyes opened wide in shock as she saw a malicious glint there, an instant before Perfume struck her hard with a backfist that sent her tumbling across the log.

V------------------V

"Stubborn girl. I'm the champion of this year! Acknowledge that and give up, or die!" Shampoo's eyes flashed with pride and anger as she shakily stood. "I will not surrender to someone who lets her art be corrupted by anger and hate," she told Perfume. With a savage yell, Perfume charged at her, sword held high. "I am the fighting master of the amazons, and now, you die!" Shampoo closed her eyes, and sidestepped the swing, bringing her unhurt arm down in an elbow strike that knocked Perfume forward.

"I played with you long enough," Perfume noted as she wiped a trickle of blood from the corner of her mouth. "And I gave you the chance to surrender, but you're more stubborn than your friend Ukyo. I can crush you where you stand, without breaking a sweat; I have power you cannot comprehend!" Raising her sword high above her head, her aura expanded above the amazon, and her sword took an ethereal yellow glow. The runes engraved upon the blade shifted, and began to emit an eerie blood red light.

Shampoo could feel the energy swirling around her opponent, and had only a moment to wonder how she had grown so powerful. Then, she was struck, and flew backwards, slamming hard against the log's rough bark. Her back was on fire, but more importantly, she noted through her blurred vision that Perfume had aimed the glowing sword straight at her throat. "I am the champion. I am the chosen," she said, before plunging the sword downward.

"That's enough," a rough voice called out in accented Mandarin. Perfume felt something impact the side of her blade, altering its path and driving it deep into the wood. Hissing, the wood around the blade turned black and charred, and she withdrew it quickly, looking around for whoever had dared to interrupt the challenge.

A young man stood in front of the crowd, flanked by an elderly woman. "Perfume, you have won the challenge. There is no need to kill my great-granddaughter," Cologne noted, eyeing Shampoo's prone form. "She hasn't acknowledged me as the strongest, and hasn't given up. Neither has she left the log. The challenge says the fight continues until either fighter is disqualified, unconscious, or dead," the younger amazon countered.

"You have a lot of confidence in your abilities," the man spoke as he took a step forward, his jet-black hair glittering in the dying sunlight, the short pigtail that rested between his shoulder-blades swinging freely. "But Cologne's right. This fight is over. You may be the strongest of this tournament, but that doesn't make you the strongest of the Joketzusoku."

Perfume eyed him warily. He appeared to be in his late teens, with a lean, muscular build that told of martial arts training. Clad in a Chinese red shirt embroidered with decorative dragon motifs and golden wood ties and black pants, he struck a rather handsome figure. A Japanese-style sword hung at his waist, the curved blade resting in his golden sash. The amazon's pride won out, though, and she smirked as she challenged him. "And what do you think a mere male like you can say about the art of combat?"

Ranma narrowed his eyes. Leaping up the log and picking up Shampoo, he deposited her with Cologne before turning his attention back at the amazon on the log. "I have no intention of fighting someone who so obviously needs to grow up," he told her as he glanced at Cologne. The elder amazon nodded, confirming that her great-granddaughter's wounds were severe, but non-lethal. "So, you're just going to run away? You have no right to carry a sword and talk about fighting when you yourself refuse my challenge!"

Turning around, Ranma locked his eyes with hers. "Cologne, I thought you had a long talk with your people about this 'men are the inferior gender'-thing after the last time I was here?" The amazon elder shrugged apologetically. "Not all heed my words, and not all are able to let go of their pride that easily. There has been progress, but not much. It takes time to change three thousand years of amazon history."

Ranma chuckled. "Point taken. Looks like I'll have to crash your party, after all, Cologne. Sorry 'bout that." The elder smirked toothily. "Don't be. I've been wanting to see your skills ever since the last time you came to visit, son-in-law. Now get on that log and show her how a real amazon fights."

Winking at her, the pig-tailed martial artist leapt onto the challenge log, and turned to face his opponent. "So, you asked for a fight. I ask you one more time. I don't want to fight you." Perfume smirked as she rushed at him, "But I want to fight **you**!" Easily leaping over the thrust, Ranma turned around and leaned his head sideways, avoiding a downward slash by a hair's width. Slowly backing away from Perfume's advances, he reached he end of the log, and kicked off, soaring above her, and landing lightly on the other end of the log.

"You were faster than this when you fought Shampoo and Ukyo," he noted, ducking under one of her swings. Her next strike came fast enough to blur, and instead of dodging, he reflexively drew his sword, meeting hers in a ringing parry. As they backed away, he arched an eyebrow. "Not bad, you actually surprised me there." He smirked his trademark cocky grin, and re-sheathed the sword, settling into a low stance. "Wanna try that again?"

Perfume's reply, was a wild, wavering warcry as she lunged forward, disappearing in a shockwave as she propelled herself forward. "Now that's more like it," Ranma noted before he, too, vanished from view. The sound of metal hitting metal heralded their reappereance as they clashed in the center of the log, swords locked. Ranma yielded first, jumping backwards and sheathing his sword. An instant later, he was soaring high above a slash that would have split him in two, and came down sword raised above his head. "_Ryu Tsui Sen_!"

The strike missed its mark as Perfume whirled her broadsword above her head, deflecting Ranma's blade. As soon as his feet made contact with the log, he launched himself forward, striking out left, turning with the attack and bringing his blade up and around behind his back to block the return blow; he spun into a crouch, his sword lashing out in a sweep, angling upwards instantly as Perfume dodged by jumping up. A right-handed flat thrust followed by a sideswing and a diagonal strike backed the amazon against the edge of the log, and Ranma relented, backtracking until he stood in the middle of the log.

Perfume came at him again, slowly this time, swinging her sword at him in a wide arc, which he intercepted with his own blade. Blocking high, he allowed her to push his sword down, only to spin around and block her follow-up that had been aimed at his legs. Flipping over her, his let his sword glance off her blade, running it all the way down to her hilt guard before withdrawing it and drawing it across her back. Perfume stumbled forward from the blow.

When she stood back up, she eyed her opponent curiously. She hadn't felt the pain of a sharp blade slicing into her back. A glance at Ranma's blade confirmed her suspicions, his blade was reversed. An oddity she filed away for future use, as right now it only meant he would not be able to defeat her…not without beating her unconscious.

V------------------V

Ranma smirked as Perfume glanced at him. He held himself in a loose stance that was a mixture of his own Anything-Goes and kenjutsu, his sword ready by his side. Waiting for the amazon to make her next move, he sheathed his blade. _Hm…next is going to be the Izuna, if I have to guess,_ he mused. When his opponent swung her sword at him, roaring the attack's name, he grinned and leapt up, clearing the attack easily. Coming down from his jump, he tapped his foot impatiently. "Come on, you can do better than that."

Moving into a zero-stance, he smirked. "Your _Izuna_, I know how it works. It's a vaccuum created by the rapid displacement of air. You're not the only one who uses such a technique." He chuckled as she snarled in rage. When she swung again, he was ready. The instant the attack came within range, he drew his sword in a reverse grip, channeling his ki into it. It wasn't even necessary, the attack parted easily around the blade, hitting the ground behind him. The follow-up strike was met with the same results, and as she prepared for the third attack, Ranma exploded forward, sheathing his sword and drawing it in one fluid motion.

Perfume never felt the blade raking across her back as the pig-tailed martial artist spun around her. She never heard his yell of "_Ryu Kan Sen_!"

V------------------V

"How is she?" The question from the familiar male voice caused Cologne to turn around from where she sat at her great-granddaughter's bedside."She'll be fine. Her wounds were bleeding badly, and she'll be in a lot of pain for the next couple of days, but it wasn't anything crippling or lethal. _But it could have been…and nearly would have,_ Cologne mentally added, knowing Ranma was thinking the same thing. "That's good to hear," came the reply from the pig-tailed martial artist as he crouched down next to the younger amazon's bed.

"I've been wanting to ask you something, Cologne," he continued after watching the girl sleep for a few moments, and the elder looked up from her great-granddaughter to meet the eyes of the boy who had brought such turmoil to her life. "Yes?"

"Perfume…she's dangerous. I can't figure her out. She was so gentle and honorable when fighting Ukyo, but why go this far with Shampoo? It doesn't make sense," he shook his head. "Even being as vicious as this and hurting Shampoo like that…" Cologne sighed. She knew full well where the amazon's drive to win came from, and as much as she detested it, there wasn't a thing she could do.

"Perfume is Brush's great-granddaughter. Her parents and grandparents died when the Musk sent a raiding party into our territory. She's been alone with Brush ever since she was three, and Brush…you have met her. She is very traditional, holding on the the early teachings she has learned herself." Ranma nodded. "Yeah. Calling her inflexible is an understatement. I can't believe you let her go after what she tried the last time – she nearly managed to destroy the village!"

The ancient woman shrugged. "We didn't exactly have a jail at hand, you know. And as much as you don't like it, Brush is a powerful fighter, something that is a necessity, even with the peace with the Musk and Phoenix." Cologne's eyes darkened before she continued, "She is also a strict teacher. From what I have observed, she trains Perfume hard, and I mean, as hard as your father trained you, if not worse. All she knows, is martial arts, to the exclusion of all else." Anticipating the young man's outburst, Cologne held up a hand.

"I know you find it repulsive. But Brush is very demanding, she is nothing like your father, Ranma. She does not do this for personal gain, but she drives Perfume to become the strongest of amazons. I myself do not know why, but it is obvious she has at least partially succeeded in her task." At his sceptical glance, she grinned toothily, something he definitely found creepy. "With you being the exception of course."

Giving her a mock glare, Ranma smirked, "Glad you remembered, granny." Chuckling along with him, Cologne turned serious. "I am worried, though. Perfume's sword…is not the one she was given." Catching the expression, Ranma sobered. "Something about it looks weird," he commented, and Cologne nodded. "You mean aside from the fact that it was obviously glowing and evil?" Her sarcasm earned her another mock glare, but this time they controlled their mirth.

"It looks very much like the _Hizashi-jin_," she noted with a grim tone. At his confused look, she explained. "The legendary sunblade. Our patron goddess is the goddess of the sun. Amaterasu, if you will, would be her Japanese name. There is an ancient legend that tells of a great battle between her and the incarnatoin of evil." Ranma scrunched his brow in concentration for a moment, attempting to recall the sketchy memory he had of his history lessons. "You mean the legend of Amatsu Mikaboshi?" The elder amazon nodded.

"Yes. There is that very same legend here in this tribe. It is said that the battle took place near Joketsuzoku, and lasted for seven days and nights, bathing the world in one whole week of darkness, before she sealed him away. Sealed him into a cave, and secured the seal with her own sacred sword, the _Hizashi-jin_. Then there is the prophecy that after thousands of years of rest, he shall awaken, and only the one wielding the sword, the one chosen by the sun, would defeat him." Ranma snorted. "You know I'm not one for legends and prophecies, granny. You know me better than that."

Cologne allowed herself a smile. "Of course I do, Ranma." But neither of them could shake the growing feeling of unease that stirred in them. Something was going to happen, and both had the distinct impression it was nothing good.


	2. Chapter 2: Chosen of the Goddess

Author's notes: I apologize for the long hiatus, but my muse left me abruptly. Also, real life has been taking much of my attention, and I went through a period of time completely disinterested in writing. But now I'm back, and I'll be updating (if a bit slowly). Enjoy the next installment!  


Chapter Two: Chosen of the Goddess

He knew something was wrong the moment he felt the chill run across his spine. It was as if someone had walked across his grave, chilling him to the bone and giving him a feeling of unease he had not felt since the last time he had fought a life-or-death battle. It wasn't a feeling he relished, but he trusted his instincts enough to know when to get up. Glancing around the small hut he checked on its other occupants. Finding that his mother and Ryoga were still asleep, he carefully stepped out into the cool night.

"Something's fishy," Ryoga muttered, and Ranma half-turned to acknowledge the lost boy's presence. "Yeah, I know. Something's rotten in the state of Denmark." At the semi-quote, Ryoga gave a wry grin. "You've been hanging around Kuno too much. Don't you start quoting Shakespeare on me, too." Ranma suppressed a chuckle. With his curse gone, and their friendship beginning to revive during the battle at Jusendo, the two of them had found it was much more fun going through adventures with each other instead of against each other.

It was that which had made Ranma ask his rival to accompany him and his mother after they had received an invitation to the rebuilt Joketsuzoku's first annual martial arts tournament. Oddly enough – or maybe understandably – Cologne had requested in her letter that Genma remain at home. And while his mother was currently filing for divorce and parental rights, something Genma fought tooth and nail, as it meant he would have to give up on pretty much anything he had "accomplished," such as the Tendo/Saotome marriage pledge, it was a long process.

So when the time had come to leave, Ryoga and Ranma had been too pleased to go through an "extra hard" training session with the man…making sure not to hold back. The end result was that Genma was in no condition to come along, something all parties involved (except Genma himself) were wholeheartedly grateful for.

Extending their senses as far as they could, the two of them searched for whatever had caused them to awaken. Not noticing anything after several minutes, Ryoga arched an eyebrow. "False alarm?" Ranma shook his head. "I don't think so. Something's going on." There was no movement that could be detected in the village, and there was no one they expected to be outside this deep into the night. A hushed shadow made them both turn around, staring at the same spot, neither totally sure whether they had imagined it. After waiting for several more moments, both martial artists shared a glance. "Something's fishy, but I don't think we'll find it tonight," Ryoga noted.

Ranma agreed with the lost boy, but that didn't do much to alleviate the queasy feeling in the bottom of his stomach.

V-------------------V

"What the hell is all the racket about?" Ranma groaned as he pushed himself out of the futon, glaring at the door as if he could somehow shut up the noise coming through it. When the noise didn't relent, he reluctantly pulled himself out of bed and glanced over, to see Ryoga stirring awake. His mother was already out, and she had taken the reforged Saotome family blade with her, so he knew she wasn't in any danger. "What the hell…can't a guy sleep in in thiss village?" Ryoga groaned from his side of the cabin.

Chuckling, Ranma shook his head and slid open the simple wooden door. "Dunno what this is all about but-" he cut off as he noted that everything that had legs seemed to be up and about at this unholy hour of the morning, streaming out of the village and past their hut. "Huh? Mass exodus or something?" Smirking, Ryoga couldn't resist a playful taunt. "Oh, learned a new word, did you?" That earned him an equally playful elbow to the gut which would have floored a lesser man.

"I don't know, but wanna check it out? Not like we can sleep with this going on." The lost boy shrugged and headed outside, Ranma following after picking up his own blade.

The sun was barely over the horizon, but a large number of people were already awake and rushing out the east gate of the village, something that struck the two martial artists as odd. "What's going on here?" Ranma asked no one in particular; receiving no reply, the two followed the villagers out of town.

After they had travelled what they estimated to be a mile east of Joketsuzoku, just barely outside Jusenkyo valley, the procession halted, and the people surrounded a single spot like spectators had the fight the day before. Pushing their way through the crowd, Ranma and Ryoga arrived to a scene that didn't really answer any of their questions.

Before them, a small mound of earth had been piled up, apparently left over from the excavation of the shallow hole that looked remotely like an ancient tomb. The thing that caught both their attention was a small rock that lay nearby, a part of which had clearly been blown apart with the _Bakusai Tenketsu_. There had been something engraved upon the stone, but neither were close enough to read it, the only recognizable feature being the Chinese symbol for "evil," which both recognized because it resembled its Japanese equivalent.

"Uh…Ryoga…why is there a rock with the kanji for 'evil' in the middle of nowhere?" Ranma asked tentativly, not knowing what to make of the scene. "I have no idea…" came the reply. Ranma was about to return his attention to the field before them when Ryoga tugged at his sleeve and indicated over to where Cologne and several of the amazon elders were conferring. Oddly, Nodoka as standing off on the sidelines, obviously listening in. Nodding, Ranma acknowledged it and the two of them headed over.

V-------------------V

"This is not a good sign," Cologne noted as Soap and the remaining elders nodded in agreement. "Indeed. The fact that this seal has turned up and has been broken does not bode well. If someone knew of the location of the seal, then why break it now?" Soap questioned. Cologne shook her head. "I do now know. But we should be more worried about who actually broke it. If someone has enough power to remove the seal and take the sword that is supposed to be here…"

Nodoka picked that moment to interrupt the conversation, asking in nearly flawless Mandarin, "But if the seal has been broken and the legendary evil that has been sealed away has not emerged…then wouldn't that leave only one option?" The elders stared at the woman in surprise, realization dawning across their faces. "That would mean-" Cologne began.

"Hey, what's going on here?" Ranma's voice prevented her from finishing that thougth. Turning to face the two young martial artists, Cologne and Nodoka froze. "Mom?" Ranma asked at seeing his mother lock up in shock as she looked past him. Turning around to see what had captivated her so, he gaped. "Huh?" was all he managed. Dead silence permeated the area, he entire crowd's attention having been riveted on the form that stood on the broken seal.

Surrounded by an aura of nearly pure white floated a woman with long, flowing black hair tied back in a swordsman's ponytail. Her elegant features and piercing blue eyes seemed to radiate a nearly ethereal, otherworldly beauty; her milky white skin covered in archaic armor that seemed to give her an aura of power. Strapped at her side was a broadsword bearing the same runes Perfume's had, and Ranma arched an eyebrow. For a moment, her eyes closed. When they opened again, they had focused on the pig-tailed martial artist.

"You," she spoke, her voice deep and rich, soft as silk but with an undercurrent that spoke volumes about her ability to crush any opposition to her will if she chose to. "Me?" Ranma pointed at himself, stepping forward. "Whatcha want?" He had never been one for formalities, and it showed. Catching a glimpse of her aura, he frowned. It felt similar to what he had felt on Urd and Belldandy when he had met the Norns, but not quite. Something was different, and a nagging voice in the back of his head told him it was something important.

"You are the one who bested the one I chose to bring light to this world once more, are you not?" She asked in the same deep baritone. _Huh? What the hell is she talking about?_ Ranma thought as he tried to remember who he had beaten up in the last couple of days. _Wait a sec…that sword's the same. She talking about Perfume?_ "If you're talking 'bout Perfume, yeah," he answered, his mind wondering at why exactly they were speaking Japanese now. "She was about to hurt a friend of mine, and I ain't let anyone do that." A slight smile played around the woman's mouth for a moment, before it vanished.

"The seal has been broken. The evil will wash across the world once more, and only the one who wields the sunblade shall stop it. I have chosen my avatar, and it is she who will bring the light back to this world. She is the chosen one." Ranma worked over her words for a moment. _In other words, please refrain from beating her up any more than you already have,_ he mentally translated. "Amaterasu, I presume?" Both their turned their attention to the source of the female voice, to find Nodoka and the rest of the amazon elders kneeling on he ground, head bowed. "Goddess of light, you bless us with your presence," she spoke, before looking up. "Tell us, who broke the seal so we can prepare for the evil that comes."

Amaterasu smiled visibly this time, before she turned back to Ranma. "There is a grave danger coming from your midst, from one who holds great power. An outsider, not of the Joketsuzoku, who brought this upon us all." Every single pair of eyes present turned to look at the three visitors warily. While their attention was diverted, the apparition vanished.

"Okay…" Ranma muttered, "Anyone else get the feeling we've just been set up?"

V-------------------V

Ranma shook his head at the commotion outside. Who would have thought level-headed, rational (more or less) women would turn into raving lunatics because of the words of one apparition? Granted, it was supposed to be their patron goddess, but that didn't necessarily mean it had to be right. Or did it? He shook his head when the sound of splintering wood filled the room and leapt up into a defensive stance, his mother, Ryoga, Cologne and Shampoo next to him.

When the dust cleared, they were faced with a mob of angry people, lead by the one person Ranma had last expected to see. Brush was leading what he could only call a mob that by all appereances seemed to be ready to lynch them. "What is the meaning of this, Brush?" Cologne asked. Her ex-colleague smirked. "Isn't it obvious? The goddess has spoken. The outsiders are responsible for the unsealing of the evil. Either they leave Joketsuzoku, or we will force them to leave."

"Now hang on a sec!" Ranma protested. "We didn't unseal no evil! Hell, we didn't even know that blasted seal was there till this morning!" Turning her ancient eyes on the pig-tailed martial artist, Ranma felt a chill run down his spine as for a moment he caught a glimpse of a hatred that ran far deeper than any he had ever seen, along with a bloodlust that made him shudder. "You, outsider, have no say in the matter. A male like you should know your place!" Ryoga growled and attempted to step forward, along with Shampoo, but both were restrained as Nodoka placed a hand on each of the fighters' shoulders. "That is enough, you two. We will leave, but know that we are innocent of what you accuse us of. If the evil truly has been unsealed, then we can only hope that the chosen of the goddess is able to reign it in." Turning to the three teenagers, the auburn-haired woman smiled. "It looks like we have overstayed our welcome. Come, Ranma, Ryoga."

As the three of them began to move forward, Shampoo exchanged a glance with Cologne, and the matriarch nodded. The girl started after her friends. Their progress halted when they found the door blocked by not only Brush, but the majority of amazons in the village. In fact, the only ones conspicious by their absence were several of the more conservative elders. Staring Brush straight in the eye and matching the ancient woman glare for glare, Saotome Nodoka stood, her right hand moving to the hilt of her family blade. "What more is it that you want?" Her tone was cold enough that it felt as if someone had deployed the _Soul of Ice_, and projected that ki into the air around them. The temperature seemed to drop even further when Brush grinned a toothy grin.

"You foolish outsiders have cost us dearly, and may have caused the destruction of our tribe," she began, only to be interrupted by Ranma, who nimbly dodged a swing of her staff. "We already told ya we didn't do it! You taking the word of some hokey-pokey ghost over ours?" He realized it may have been a mistake to refer to the apparition as he had, when the majority of people before them turned a glare on him. "Great, me and my big mouth," he lamented quietly. Ryoga nodded in agreement, and Shampoo hid a chuckle.

"Whatcha want now? First you tell us to get lost, now you won't let us leave! Make up your mind, for Pete's sake!" He **really** didn't like the goofy smirk on Brush's face. It was starting t creep him out. Not particularly because it was that evil – and it was – but moreso because a nearly three-hundred year old wrinkled gnome of a woman grinning like a Cheshire cat looked more than a little disturbing. "What we want," she began grandly, "is your head!"

Ranma hung his head and sighed. "Oh, boy…" Ryoga groaned. "You didn't get infectious, did you, Ranma?" And Shampoo and Cologne stared disbelievingly at the mob that was about to lynch the three that had been, until a few hours ago, their guests of honor. Sliding into an offensive stance, Ryoga snorted, "Ranma, this is all your fault!" Said pig-tailed boy chuckled in response and shook his head. "In your dreams, P-chan." Turning to the assembled amazons, he eyed them warily. "Are you prepared for us fighting our way out? 'Cause I'm not gonna let any of you do anything to my friends and family." There was a dangerous glint in his eyes as he let his battle aura hover just outside the visible spectrum.

Brush smirked as she took a step back, the majority of the amazons moving back so that they formed a semi-circle around the front of the hut. "If you want to fight, I'll take all the more pleasure in taking you down, boy." Lashing out with her staff, she expected the strike to connect with the pig-tailed martial artist's head, but when it landed, he wasn't there. Appearing two meters to the left, he narrowed his eyes. The former elder was serious about this, and seemed to have the backing of the majority of the tribe. He swore mentally, things were not looking good right now; and he didn't exactly feel a burning desire to beat up an entire village of warrior women.

When the ancient woman lunged at him, he turned to the side, but the strike he had been expecting never came. Instead, Brush altered her staff's course in mid-air to aim at the woman that stood unprotected to one side of the group. Anger flooded her as she recalled the humiliation she had suffered in her first duel with the Japanese woman. Startled, Nodoka's hands went to her family blade, but before she could reach the handle, a silver blur hissed through the air, and the crack of splintering wood silenced every single bystander.

With a dull thud the first third of the broken mahagoni staff hit the ground, and Ranma stood before his mother, sword drawn and in a ready stance. His eyes flashed a brilliant gold for an instant as he ignited his battle aura, the flame of ki burning high into the sky as it wrapped itself around him. Emitting a cat-like hiss, his sapphire eyes slitted as he stared at the one who had attacked his mother. "We will be going. And you won't stop us, Brush." The raw power rolling off the pig-tailed martial artist was enough to sent the majority of the amazons scattering away, and the former elder glanced down at her broken weapon.

She had no choice to let them go.

V-------------------V

"Y'know, I'm getting this weird sense of dejá vú," Ranma commented as he, Ryoga, Nodoka, and Shampoo sprinted through the woods, in no particular direction but away from Joketsuzoku. The sounds of the hunting parties faded behind them, and they allowed themselves to rest for the first time since they had run from the amazon village. "This like first time you come here," Shampoo chuckled, "everyone looking for you to kill."

Ryoga elbowed the pig-tailed martial artist lightly. "You do have a way of making enemies, don't you? I'm starting to think you're doing that on purpose." Ranma didn't comment as he sat down next to his mother. "Well, that didn't go all like I had planned it would…" _Of course not. I didn't exactly plan on having a ghost claiming to be Amaterasu pop up and declare us the harbingers of doom._ Making a mental note to talk to the Norns when he saw them next time, he sighed tiredly. His mother smiled at him as he leaned against her slightly.

"Cologne will work things out. She is the matriarch, after all," she attempted to calm her son, and he nodded. "Hope so." When his mother perked up, he followed the direction of her gaze and noticed the sun reflecting off a smooth black surface. Reaching over to push the vines aside, he ran his finger over it. It felt smoother than silk, yet the ragged edges spoke of a solidity and brittleness that came with stone. It felt cold to the touch and seemed to absord the sunlight as he looked at it. "Obsidian?" Nodoka murmured, and he warily followed Nodoka deeper into the brush.

"What's this?" Her gasp made him look up, and for a moment he stood in shocked silence as he took in the giant structure before them. On a small hill, surrounded by obelisks made of the same black stone, stood a giant, milky white crystal on a pedestal. Surrounding it and covering almost the entire hill was an array of buildings that dwarfed many modern complexes in size and architecture. The majority of the buildings had flat roofs and were two stories tall, scattered widely around the hill but connected by roofed walkways. Broken stone pillars spoke of where the gates had once been, and Ranma could feel the residual chi lingering in the air.

It was a tantalizing feeling, the energy that permeated the place so obviously not natural, yet not malevolent at the same time. It felt almost as if this place was otherworldy, as if some divine being had touched this place and made it their own. It made a chill run down his spine as he realized it was coming from the crystal in the center of the hill. While time had clearly taken its toll on the buildings, all of them were still standing, and most of them showed no structural damage.

"What the-" Ryoga cut off as soon as he saw the sight before them. "Holy hell," he muttered, completely ignoring the contradiction in his words. Like Ranma he could feel the energy emanating from the crystal. As the group stood in awe of the structure before them, Shampoo joined them. "Aiya! What this?" The young amazon stared wide eyed at the assembled buildings, and a memory floated into her mind.

"This hidden temple of sun goddess!" She nearly shouted. "It supposed to be legend!" Ryoga snorted. "Some legend. Looks pretty real to me." Sharing a glance with his mother, Ranma wondered just what they would find in this place. _Why me…?_ He mentally groaned, wishing that for once he could have a nice, easy life.

V-------------------V

Ukyo woke with a start. And she screamed. Of course, waking up and staring straight into the wrinkled face of a three hundred year old woman wasn't exactly the best way to wake up. When she had gotten her breathing under control, Ukyo dropped from the ceiling and glared at Cologne as the elder amazon chuckled. "That wasn't funny!" When Cologne continued to smile, Ukyo shook her head. It was useless to argue with a three hundred year old bad sense of humor.

When she looked around the cabin, she found her friends gone and Shampoo's travel backpack missing. "Where are all the others? Where's Ranchan?" The okonomiyaki chef demanded. Cologne sobered up immediately. "They had to leave the village. Something has come up, and I doubt it's a good thing." Sighing and hanging her dead, Ukyo mumbled, "Why can't things ever be easy around Ranchan?" Looking up into the elder's eyes, she asked, "How long have I been out, and what happened?"

"You were only out for a day, and a lot has happened. This morning the elders of the village were woken by a large wave of chi that passed through this area. We followed it to the source and found a broken seal, with the seal of the sun goddess on it." Quickly telling Ukyo about the legend, Cologne continued with the morning's incident. "When Ranma got there, the goddess herself appeared and told us the evil had been released and she had choosen her champion to wield the sunblade against it. She also said that the ones responsible for releasing the evil were outsiders."

Eyes wide with disbelief, Ukyo shook her head. "So Ranchan and his mother got chased out because this weird ghost popped up and said that they let loose something evil and that only the one she said could defeat it?" "In essence, yes," Cologne nodded.

"That's a load of bull! How do you even know it was Amaterasu, and not some fake spirit?" Cologne held up a scroll that had the kanji for "sun" surrounded by runes drawn on it. "This is the symbol of the seal. It matched the one we found, the one that was broken. And…" Cologne hated to admit it, but she said it anyway, "it looked like her."

Silence was her answer for several moments until Ukyo burst out laughing. "You mean to tell me you looked at her and said they looked the same so that makes her the real one? Oh, that's rich!" Soon, the young warrior was rolling on her bed, shaking with silent laughter. Cologne, too, managed a chuckle.

When they both had themselves under control, the elder continued. "You may see it that way, but our culture is very traditional. There is a prophecy, and it has started coming true piece by piece. The seal and appereance are enough for most to believe it is the actual goddess." Placing the scroll away, Cologne shot a quick glance out the window. "There is one more thing. She said that she had chosen her champion, and that that person would wield the sunblade."

A memory came to the fore, and Ukyo recalled her battle the previous day. "Perfume? You're not going to tell me that sword of hers is the one you mean?" Again, Cologne sighed. "It is. The fact alone that she can wield such a mystical blade has convinced those who were till skeptical." Ukyo fell back against the wall. "Oh great. You mean now everyone thinks Perfume is their savior, or something?"

"Unfortunately, that is the situation, child."

V-------------------V

It was growing dark when the four of them began building a fire near one of the abandoned buildings. All four kept their senses on alert – the fact that the buildings seemed to be abandoned and that this seemed to be the place of several amazon legends didn't necessarily mean it was devoid of hostilities. But when the sun set, their attention riveted on the crystal that stood in the center of the structure. In the dying sunlight it had begun to glow, emitting a soft silver light as the martial artists could feel its power.

The glow intensified as the sun went down, passing the horizon, bathing the area around the crystal in a fourty feet radius in a warm silver glow. Eyes wide in surprise, The group moved closer to the stone, now feeling the warmth that came from it. With a bit of trouble, Shampoo deciphered the ancient symbols etched onto the pedestal. "Guardian Crystal," she read, "put in place to protect temple from evil demons by sun goddess. This shrine to sun goddess, built after she kill evil. This where old priestesses worship her." Smiling, Nodoka sat down on the stairs that lead to the pedestal. "Well, looks like we won't have to worry about light or danger."

Ranma was about to agree, when a rumble went through the place. With a sudden flash, the crystal went dark. "Uh…is it supposed to do that?" Ryoga asked warily. Shampoo shook her head wildly. "Guys…I think we have more problems than that oversize flashlight back there," Ranma muttered, indicating to where glowing eyes had appeared around them in the darkness.

V-------------------V

A figure shrouded in shadows smiled to itself as it materialized where the broken seal lay. It gave a grim smile, as light and shadow flashed across its face, only revealing cold blue eyes. It solidified an instant later, wisps of white smoke coalescing into white robes and armor. Slowly, as if relearning how to walk, the figure took a tentative step forward, followed by another.

Soon, it passed the gates of Joketsuzoku, the heavy wooden doors parting easily with the wave of a hand. Everything inside the village stopped dead in its tracks as they saw the figure that had so easily bypassed the guards and entered their homes.

Brush was the first to arrive, followed by Perfume. A single look at the woman now standing before them was enough to make the amazons drop to their knees in reverence. The woman smiled as the villagers filled the town square, kneeling around her. "Mistress," Brush began, raising her eyes. "We are yours to command."

"Rise, Brush of the Joketsuzoku. One among my children wields the sunblade now, it is her you must follow." The runes on the sword strapped on Perfume's side began to glow white at first, then a dark red. "She is the chosen one, she will battle the darkness and bring light upon us again." The ancient woman shot a glance at her great-granddaughter, and nodded. Perfume rose and stood beside her as she drew her sword.

Offering it to the goddess before them, they were startled when she shook her head. "It has chosen its wielder. Perfume, by the blessings of the gods, I grant you this sword, _Hizashi-jin_, the sunblade that once banished evil from this plane. You are chosen to champion the sun in the coming war. Do not fail, or all shall be lost." Turning around and sweeping her gaze around the assembled warrior women, she smiled. "Follow her, my children, follow the chosen of the sun!"

As one, the amazons rose, and the air resounded with a wild, wavering warcry.

V-------------------V

Ranma felt the cold stone of the pedestal brush against his back, and not for the first time he asked himself whatever he had done to deserve this. It wasn't the fact that he was fighting for his life, no that wasn't something new. It wasn't even the fact that he was lost somewhere in China, that had happened before. No, he wondered, why, by all that was holy, did those monsters have to be giant, evil, bloodthirsty killer cats?

He heard a cat-like yowl and nearly jumped, lashing out instinctively with a ki blast that illuminated the area for a split second before it struck its target in a brilliant explosion of golden fire. "Why me?" He lamented before firing off another ki blast into the group of creatures that assembled before them. "There stairs back here, we go in?" Shampoo noted from behind them as she pointed her flashlight at a stairwell.

Without further notice Ryoga leapt down, followed by Nodoka and Shampoo; Ranma shot a glance behind him before he let loose with a vacuum blade and jumped down the stairs. When he reached the bottom of the stairs, the sounds of fighting reached his ears, and he groaned. _Out of the frying pan, into the fire…_

Running towards the noise, he found his mother, and Shampoo backing off from a humanoid figure, nearly twice as tall as he was, while Ryoga had engaged two of them at once. Shampoo's flashlight washed over their opponents, and the pig-tailed martial artist cursed their luck as he recognized the shimmering white bone, bound together by magic and clad in archaic armor. With a loud kiai, he flew forward in a jump kick that threw the skeleton attacking his mother backwards, and rained an Amaguri-Ken onto its breastplate, cracking through the ancient metal easily.

"What the hell is this place?" He ducked instinctively as the blade of a giant sword cut the air above him, before sweeping the skeleton's legs from underneath it. "I shoulda figured we'd run into something like this," he muttered as Ryoga let loose with a ki blast that tore through the tunnel before them, effectively clearing it. He sighed in exhasperation as Shampoo finally managed to align her flashlight.

They were in an underground tunnel, which was probably not too deep under the surface, wide enough for three people to walk shoulder-to-shoulder, and around twelve feet high. Taking a look at the remains of the creatures they had just fought, Ranma swore under his breath, muttering about stupid ancient amazon magic. Shampoo caught an earful of it and giggled, but the sight of the dismantled skeletons before them sobered her up.

"Say Shampoo…is there supposed to be something like this in a temple of a good goddess?" Ryoga noted, indicating the ancient bones. "I mean, I don't exactly think skeleton warriors are good guys…" A growl from behind them cut off her reply, and they turned around to see the stairway they had come from filling with more predatory cats. "_Hinokuruma_!" Ryoga yelled, letting loose with a reddish ki blast that caved in the ceiling on top of the intruders behind them.

It also cut off the air flow. The four of them stared at the collapsed entrance, before the other three directed a collective glare at the lost boy. Ryoga chuckled nervously, scratching the back of his neck. "Oops?" he muttered. Ranma knocked him atop the head once, which hurt his fingers more than Ryoga's head, before shaking his head. "Well, we better get going and find some air vent," Nodoka commented as she turned down the tunnel. Ranma nodded, and took a rather long piece of rope out of nowhere. At Shampoo and Ryoga's inquisitive glances, he smirked. "You'd be surprised what you can pick up from Mousse if you keep watching him."

He then proceeded to tie one end of the rope around his waist, and the other around Ryoga's. "You ain't getting lost on us in here, P-chan," he said, before the three of them walked off after Nodoka.

V-------------------V

When the Saotome matriarch stopped, and Shampoo angled her flashlight against the barrier that stood before them, the two rivals suppressed the urge to groan. "Ranma, how come I always get into these messes when you're around?" Said pig-tailed martial artist didn't bother to reply, instead walking up to the semi-transparent barrier that stood in their way. In the light from Shampoo's flashlight it shimmered a light grey, with a soapy texture and occassional flashes of scintillating colors.

It completely blocked their path, closing off the tunnel from the bottom all the way to the ceiling. Tentatively, Shampoo stepped forward and picked up a small rock, tossing it against the barrier. Four pairs of eyes widened in shocked surprise when the rock disintegrated, falling into dust the instant it hit the barrier. "Shampoo think we no go through there," the young amazon managed after the shock wore off.

"We still need to get out of this tunnel, without the air flow from the entrance we'll suffocate in here." Nodoka glanced around, her eyes settling on an ark that had been carved into the rock of the tunnel wall. Age had worn away the ornate decorations that had been hammered into it, and a thick layer of dust and debris now blocked the heavy door, making it nearly impossible to spot.

Handing her katana to Shampoo, the elder Saotome carefully brushed away at the sides of the ark, uncovering rusted and broken hinges. She continued to move on to the door itself, carefully removing small pieces of clay and rock and brushing away the dust that had collected with the sure hand of a trained archeologist. When she had totally uncovered the doorway, she stood again, running a finger through the crack that separated the double doors, trying to find enough purchase to force it open.

When the massive door didn't budge, Ranma and Ryoga stepped forward, and she accepted her sword back from Shampoo. At the trio's inquisitive look, she shrugged. "I had to keep occupied while you were away, son. Archeology is a hobby of mine." A dull thud shook the tunnel as the two boys struck the door, but the solid iron held steady. Ryoga growled and glared at the door before hauling back and focusing his ki. Ranma's arm on his shoulder held him back. "Hey, if you do that you'll bring down the whole tunnel on top of us!"

"Got a better idea, Ranma?"

The pig-tailed martial artist smirked as he stood back and drew his blade. With two quick slashes, the door fell into the room beyond in four neat pieces, and Ranma returned the sword to its sheath. "_Zantetsu_," Nodoka whispered in awe. "Metal slash." He grinned at them and gave them a victory sign, before stepping into the next room.


	3. Chapter 3: Violation of Sacred Ground

Chapter Three: Violation of Sacred Ground

Ranma coughed and waved his hands, attempting to dispel some of the dust that had risen when the massive door had come crashing down. When it finally settled, the pig-tailed youth almost wished it hadn't. The three behind him froze for a moment, before spreading out next to him into a semi-circle around the entrance he had just created. "Son, I think we need to talk about this tendency of yours to get into crazy adventures," Nodoka chuckled. Her son simply hung his head as he replied. "Trouble finds me, mom, not the other way 'round…" Ryoga snickered, "Ain't that the truth," he noted as he raised his aura.

Ranma and Shampoo did the same, casting the large cavern into an eerie golden, reddish-white, and bright blue light. In the illumination provided by the flickering ki, they could see the opponents they were facing. Shampoo and Nodoka took an involuntary ste back, and the two boys' eyes widened in shock. Dark, shady, featureless faces stared back at them from the semi-darkness of the cavern with glowing red eyes that spoke of undeniable bloodlust. Ranma and Ryoga shared a look. "You've got to be freaking kidding me!" The pig-tailed boy exclaimed.

On an unspoken command, the wraiths charged, a featureless, limbless wave of black surging towards them.

V-------------------V

The sight that presented itself to Ukyo as she glanced out of the window of Cologne's home was rather unsettling for the young woman. The window of her guest room had a prime view on the town square, and even from a distance she could hear the telltale sound of musterin arms. She sighed, it seemed as if a religious fever had infected the Joketsuzoku. The okonomiyaki chef turned when someone knocked on the door. "Come in," she called, already knowing it was Cologne. "Hello, child," the ancient woman greeted her. "What's going on outside? It looks as if they're preparing for war," Ukzo's gaze flickered back to the window.

Cologne frowned. She knew her young charge was getting restless; Ukyo hadn't left her house for the last two days, ever since the day after the tournament – it was a wise choice, Cologne admitted, since most of the village seemed to have gone into a racist frenzy, expelling any and all non-amazons by force and closing up the village to all outside traffic despite their alliance with the Musk and Phoenix. She could only imagine what the situation looked like to their allies – after the last stunt the Joketsuzoku had pulled, the Musk and Phoenix were especially wary of them, and only Ranma's impressive display of power and his mother's quick tongue and wit had convinced the two tribes to begin a tentative peace and trade with their female neighbors.

Now, once again, their actions had to look rather suspicious, and Cologne had no doubt as to the consequences if the Musk and Phoenix decided – upon very real evidence – that the Joketsuzoku were a threat. The village had been rebuilt, true, but even now their numbers were small, and even a raiding party would leave a trememdous hole in their numbers. The elder amazon cursed the stupidity of her sisters, for risking the fragile peace that had been achieved after the events that had almost completely devastated them.

They weren't sure how Ukyo would be affected by the sudden purging of the village, but neither had been willing to risk it. Neither, however, had Ukyo been willing to leave the village. Cologne didn't know whether to commend the young woman for her bravely, or to curse her for it. "Perfume and Brush have declared what you would call martial law. They are preparing for the ritual sacrifices the goddess has ordered." The elder amazon shuddered. "It's brutal outside. Perfume's followers have beaten down any resistance and taken the sacrifices by force." Ukyo could feel the emotions pouring off the elder, and knew something bad was going on to so completely shatter the usually tight emotional control Cologne kept.

Then her words registered. _Take the sacrifices…?_ "You don't mean…" Cologne nodded gravely. "Yes. They are sacrificing some of our young warriors, as was done in ancient times. I am glad Xian Pu is not here…they are choosing those that lost in the tournament, but have distinguished themselves in the last several fights. Which also means you're in danger, Ukyo. It would be best if you left the village."

The younger woman paled. "That's – that's barbaric!"

V-------------------V

The sword flashed through the shadowy body of a wraith, severing it cleanly. To Nodoka's surprise, the black mist condensed, leaving the creature unharmed once more. She reared back, stabbing her blade deep into the shadowy figure again, but lost her grip on the hilt of the katana when the wraith pulled, wrenching the blade from her. It struck out with its back claws; the auburn-haired woman let out a startled yell as she felt herself being pulled to safety, even as the glittering talons sliced cleanly through the head of a mace.

"Aiya, Ranma mother be careful," the amazon panted as she swung her remaining bonbori, clearing an area around them for a moment. Nodoka nodded, her reply cut off by a series of explosions from the other side o the doorway, accompanied by red and golden flashes. From over where Ranma and Ryoga were fighting, black mist began to rise, coalescing at the ceiling, only to disperse in a flash of golden light as the Saotome youth cut loose with a massive ki-blast. "Mom!" At the apex of his jump, Ranma spun, releasing a long black shape as he did.

Instinctively, Nodoka caught it, the silver metal of the blade flashing out of the black-laquered sheath, beheading and dispelling a wraith that had been about to impale Shampoo. The two women stared at the reverse-blade sword for a moment. "Aiya, this work much better than Ranma mother old sword," the lavender-haired girl finally muttered. Nodoka was forced to agree.

V-------------------V

The last three wraith fell with an inhuman shriek as two ki-blasts struck them in quick succession, dispersing and incinerating the dark fog they were composed of. Nodoka glanced around the cavern before returning the blade to its scabbard. Holding on to her son's sword, the Saotome matriarch began looking for her own. "Here, mom," Ranma suddenly stood next to her, holding the Saotome honor blade. With a warm smile, she accepted her own sword back, extending the sheathed sakabato to her son. Ranma shrugged and waved it off.

"Keep it, mom. No offense, but I think it'd be of more use than yours." With a giggle, Nodoka nodded. "You're right, son. That's a fine blade you have."

"Hey, guys!" Ryoga's voice echoed over from where he and Shampoo were looking around the cavern. Mother and son made their way across the battlefield, and Nodoka noted with a tinge of awe that the area where the two boys had been fighting was cleanly divided – half of it was pockmarked with craters and littered with debris where Ryoga had been cutting loose. The other half was nearly untouched, save for slight scorchmarking and scattered debris. Once more, Nodoka was amazed at the level of control her son had over his skill. When they reached their companions, Nodoka could see what had caught their attention.

It was a half-opened sarcophargus, but it was much smaller than she had expected. The lid showed signs of damage Nodoka attributed to the wraiths' attempts to open the casket. "That thing is too small to hold a human," Ranma noted as he eyed the stone coffin that wasn't any larger than two large shoeboxes. Nodoka disagreed. "It's a child's coffin," she muttered, leaning over the chipped and worn inscriptions on the stone lid.

Shampoo glanced over Nodoka's shoulder, mouthing the words as she tried to translate the ancient writings into Japanese. The auburn-haired woman, upon noticing the amazon, stepped aside. "This tell story of temple," the lavender-haired girl began slowly. "Temple revere sun-goddess for long long time, but when this child born of priestess, all hope for it to be strong priestess, because everyone feel child's power before even born; and prophecies say that child bring end to all darkness.

Ranma suppressed a snort. "That sounds a lot like hokey-pokey to me," he muttered, earning him a disapproving look from his mother. "And immortal phoenix gods and goddesses aren't?" The pig-tailed martial artist had the good sense to look abashed. Their attention turned back to Shampoo as she began to speak again. "But before child can bring light, it die, and temple suddenly be attacked by weird things. Some of its power remain, and it sealed up here in temple to prevent anyone from stealing it." Ryoga shot a look at the door they had entered through. "I get the feeling they didn't do a very good job of maintaining this place. It's got quite the residents," the lost boy noted dryly.

"This temple been abandoned for many year, so long it legend in Joketsuzoku." Shampoo eyed the cavern critically. "But Shampoo agree with lost boy, this no look like godly temple."

"Either way, we have to get out of this place," Nodoka noted. "We can't stay here forever, after all, and I think it would be wise to inform the Musk and Phoenix of these new developments." The four froze when a blood-curling scream pierced the air. What shocked and, to some extent, scared, them was the fact that it had been a human scream.

Ryoga was the first to regain the ability to speak, albeit shakily. "Th-that was-" Nodoka nodded dumbly in reply. Before either of them could say anything more, there was a large hole in the wall opposite the one they had come through, where the door used to be. Ranma was already gone.

V-------------------V

A surprising sight greeted the trio as they arrived, barely managing to stop in the doorway instead of ramming into Ranma. The pig-tailed youth had his back turned to them, and was breathing heavily. His golden aura could be seen slowly fading around him, and the dark smoke that were the remains of several wraith lay at his feet. Before him lay the unconscious form of a young woman, slumped against the wall where she no doubt had made her last stand against the wraith.

The girl had long black hair tied up into two buns, much like Shampoo's, and she was clad in dark red ceremonial garb. Shampoo's eyes widened in surprise. "Lo Xian!" Ranma glanced over his shoulder, only now noticing his companions' presence. "Huh?"

Shampoo rushed over to the unconscious woman, her eyes flickering over her as she expertly assessed her injuries. Finally, the lavender-haired girl heaved a sigh of relief. "Who is she, Shampoo?" Ranma asked as he knelt next to her. The girl turned around and smiled at him as she replied, "Lo Xian is priestess from Joketsuzoku. She leave village two day before tournament, and gone since then."

A quiet moan from the prone figure next to them caught their attention. After a moment, Lo Xian's eyes fluttered open, and she sat up abruptly, one hand moving to her forehead. She muttered something in Chinese that caused Shampoo to chuckle, and Ranma moved aside to let his mother take a look at the girl. The pig-tailed martial artist joined Ryoga at the doorway that continued deeper into the temple ruins.

The two boys stared warily into the darkness that lay beyond the faint light of their flashlights, for the moment ignoring the quiet conversation in Chinese that occurred behind them for the moment.

"Who's there?" Shampoo smiled softly as she waved at her fellow amazon. "It's me, Xian Pu. How are you feeling, Lo Xian ?" The raven-haired amazon rubbed her temples. "I've got the mother of all headaches. What are you doing here? And who are those outsiders?" The last question had a dangerous undertone, and Shampoo was about to retort harshly when Nodoka beat her to it.

"These 'outsiders' just saved your life, Lo Xian," the Saotome matriarch told her, her voice cold enough to give even Shampoo pause. Nodoka was staring at the younger woman, her eyes boring deeply into Lo Xian's. Finally, the amazon priestess averted her gaze, and nodded. "Thank you," she muttered. "But you still shouldn't be here. This is holy ground, it's dangerous for you to be here."

That earned her a snort from Shampoo. "This doesn't look holy to me. It's dangerous all right, but nothing we can't handle. Ranma could probably eat those wraith for breakfast." At the mention of the pig-tailed martial artist's name, Lo Xian turned her head and stared in mute shock at said boy. "He's here?" Nodoka nodded. "Yes, we were here for the tournament. Things…turned sour. How did you get here?"

Lo Xian frowned for a moment. "I was on my way to the temple north of our village, along with two others. We fell into an ambush, and were chased here. Fo Hn and Do Wel fell. I made it inside, but the creatures followed me. I found this room. The crystal over there, see it?" She indicated a pedestal that held a small, yellow gemstone that had been cut into an elongated oval. "It used to light this place, as long as it was there, they didn't come in here. It went out just before you got here."

Ryoga, who by now had moved over to listen in to the conversation even though he only understood a fraction of it, picked up the small gem. "This thing kept them out of here?" Lo Xian and Shampoo glanced up in surprise. Shampoo nodded her head. "I think it go out when lost boy blow up stairs," she giggled, causing Ryoga to flush in embarassment. "Who this?" the priestess asked in broken Japanese.

"This is Hibiki Ryoga," Shampoo replied in Chinese. Switching back to Japanese, she told the lost boy, "We need get moving, this place no longer safe." Ryoga nodded. Several flashes from the direction of the corridor drew their attention away from the conversation. "Ranma!" Nodoka was past Ryoga in an instant, her son's sword out and at the ready. Shampoo and her sister amazon were behind them only a moment later.

When they arrived at the site of the battle, the fight was already over. Lo Xian stared in wide-eyed surprise at the fading mist that was all that remained of several wraith. "You do that?" She asked the pig-tailed martial artist. Ranma turned and smirked. "They ain't so tough," he grinned. Glancing down the corridor, he added, "We better get moving. There's more of them down that way."

Lo Xian retrieved a weathered scroll from the folds of her robe and handed it to Shampoo. In Chinese, she told her, "In this place, my spiritual powers are being drained. I can still fight, but I can no longer banish these creatures with my wards. The only place in this temple that still retains enough of its holy power to keep them at bay is most likely the tomb of the original high priestess. This scroll has part of the ritual to harness that energy and cleanse the temple. It's only a third of the complete scroll, I couldn't find more."

Nodoka translated for the two boys while Lo Xian spoke. "Lotion," Ranma finally called out, slurring the name somewhat. "You got any idea what's going on here?" he asked in accented Mandarin. The amazon priestess turned to him in obvious surprise. "I think the temple has been taken over by a vengeful spirit." The pig-tailed martial artist snorted, "I think this is a little more than just a spirit," he noted, "What about the seal that was broken?"

"What seal?"

"There was a seal slightly east of the village. Big rock, had the kanji for evil etched into it. There's also a sword that goes along with it, it's big, and has runes all over its blade. I think they called it the 'Sunblade,' or something." At the explanation, Lotion paled considerably. "That's the seal of Amatsu!" "Boy, this is bad, isn't it?" Ryoga asked from the sidelines as Nodoka translated her son's question and the amazon's reply.

Lotion frowned, and all four could feel the fear and anxiety pouring off the young woman. "Amatsu was a fallen goddess. In our legends, she was the daughter of Amaterasu, the sun goddess, and heiress to her powers. She envied her mother's position, and tried to take it for herself. Failing, she was banished from the heavens, and began her revenge here on this plane. It is said she started a long and bloody war between gods and mortals, and ended up challenging her mother again. They fought, and Amaterasu sealed her away. The warriors that survived the battle are our ancestors," she explained. "If the seal is broken, and the sword is gone, then she must be free."

Nodoka frowned. "I don't know if this has anything to do with it, but we saw an apparition of a young woman, who introduced herself as Amaterasu at the broken seal. She said the sunblade had been handed to her champion to fight the coming darkness." Lotion nodded, "if the seal has been broken and Amatsu is free, then that could happen. Why do you ask?"

"That's it!" Ranma exclaimed, snapping his fingers. Everyone else turned to the pig-tailed martial artist in surprise. "What's what?" Ryoga asked. With a smirk, Ranma elaborated. "When we saw that thing, I tried to feel her aura. It's divine, all right, it's like what I've felt around Urd and Bell, but there was something off, something I couldn't quite explain. It felt…different, somehow. I thought maybe it was because Urd and Bell are sisters, but that's not it – it's because she was a **fallen** goddess!"

His four companions blinked as they tried to digest his words. Ranma waited for a moment. And another. Finally, Shampoo asked, "Huh?" The pig-tailed martial artist nearly fell down in exhasperation. "It's like this; Shampoo, you remember Urd, right?" The amazon had to think only for a moment. "Aiya! Too too sexy sorceress!" Ranma nodded. "Yeah, that's her. There's something different between her aura and the one from the thing we saw. It's…I don't know how to explain this. It's off, somewhere. It's like the difference between limes and lemons. It's basically the same, but…not as focused." He stared into the incomprehending faces of his friends. "It's because she doesn't have her divine powers fully under her control anymore! That's why it's started to mix with other things, wild magic, chi, ki, whatever – she doesn't quite have the control, **or** the limitations of a goddess anymore."

Slowly, Ryoga began to speak. "So…you're saying that the apparition we saw felt different from a real goddess?" His choice of words caused Ranma to blush bright red and the three women to giggle. "Huh? What'd I say?" The lost boy looked confused. "Yeah, that's it. So she was the fake one," Ranma concluded. "This bad," Lotion added in Japanese. "This mean Amatsu take Amaterasu form and fool village. This bad bad."

V-------------------V

"Are you sure this is going to work?" Ryoga asked as he threw another ki-blast into the darkness. They were trapped in a small room which connected to four corridors – three of which were filling up with wraith. "No idea," Ranma replied as he let loose with a blast of his own. "Can't hurt to try," he said. Behind them, Lotion was placing the small sunstone gem she had found onto the pedestal in the center of the room.

Instantly, the room lit up in a bright yellow light as the gem began radiating as brightly as a small sun, the light reaching into the farthest crevasses of the room and deep into the corridors. With an unearhtly wail, the wraiths disintegrated into nothingness, disappearing as quickly as they had come, their forms banished as the shadows shrank. "Wow," Ranma breathed. "It's working!"

Lotion let out a relieved sigh, then sat down with her back leaning against the pedestal. She exchanged a few words with Shampoo in Chinese, who translated them a moment later. "Lotion no know how long ward hold. Say we better rest few minute then keep going. She think sungem break shadow barrier."

A few minutes later, Lotion snatched the dimming sungem from the pedestal, and the five of them once more found themselves enshrouded in darkness, only broken by the faint illumination provided by their flashlights. Ranma lead the way through the corridor, with Nodoka and Lotion behind him, while Shampoo and Ryoga brought up the rear. The lavender-haired amazon had tied a rope around her waist and Ryoga's, trying to prevent or at least delay the lost boy's getting lost.

They hit the first barrier, and Ranma eyed it warily. He remembered the one they had encountered just after entering the lower levels of the temple too well – that, and the way the rock he had tossed at it had disintegrated. "Ok," he muttered, "Pray." Clutching the sungem Lotion handed him in his right hand, he tossed it at the opaque barrier. Upon hitting the barrier, the gemstone flared in a brilliant white light, causing all five to shield their eyes. When it faded, the wall that had obstructed their way was gone, and they were staring into a dark, black cavern.

Torches that lined the walls ignited themselves, the flames flickering angrily as they lighted up the area. In the dim light they could see they were standing at the beginning of a long platform that led to the center of a hemispherical cavern. The narrow bridge they were standing at led to a large, circular platform in the center of the cavern, and in the center of the platform stood four pillars, arrayed around a casket and altar.


	4. Chapter 4: Divine Challenge

Author's Notes: Hey guys! Thanks for the reviews! Here's the next chapter, I hope you enjoy it as much as the last few. And yes, Aledeth, I did pull some inspiration from BG2. Actually, you might recognize some elements in here, as well. Anyway, you came here to read, so...enjoy!  


Chapter Four: Divine Challenge

Curiously, Ranma picked up a pebble and tossed it over the edge of the walkway. He paled when it continued to fall after a good minute. "I don't think we wanna fall down there," he noted shakily. The five of them carefully made their way towards the center of the platform, trying to avoid looking down over the side of the bridge into the dark abyss below.

A surprise was waiting for them when they reached the central platform. A shimmering silver form coalesced from motes of light, revealing a young woman with long, flowing hair that seemed to sway in an imaginary breeze. "Greetings, amazon sisters. You have come to the temple of light in a time of darkness. We are guardians of our goddess's treasure, yet you will find no wealth. We hold her knowledge, yet you shall find yourself wiser than any of us. Those who look for guidance, shall find it after passing the trials."

When the apparition fell silent, a kanji on each of the pillars glowed for a brief moment, enough for them to read. "Heart," Nodoka read, "pride, honor, soul." Ranma walked up to one of the pedestals. "What do you think this is? Some sort of test?" Shrugging, Shampoo inspected the one next to the pig-tailed martial artist. "Shampoo no know. But maybe put sungem in here?" She indicated a slot that sat above the kanji. Lotion pulled out the weathered piece of scroll and scanned through it. "This only say we pass tests, we get blessing of goddess," she told the others, before reached into her pouch and withdrawing one of the small, yellow gemstones, placing it in one of the pillars.

All of the shied back reflexively when a hoarse female voice echoed through the cavern, different from the gentle and soothing voice of the apparition that had spoken before. "The trial of the soul has begun." "What the-" Ranma's cry of surprise was cut off abruptly as he vanished in a flash of light.

"Ranma!" The remaining four could only stare as the pillar glowed once more, it's kanji reading "Soul."

V-------------------V

"Meow."

Ranma spun around, searching for the source of the sound, but only darkness met his eyes.

"Meow." There it was again.

"Meow." And again.

"Meow."

The single cat turned into many, and the single yowl became a cacophony of growls and hisses. Ranma opened his eyes, only to find a pair of glowing yellow eyes. Pain blossomed across his body, and he could feel blood run down his cheeks as cuts opened and claws tore into him.

"No," he whispered as he realized where he was. "No, not again…"

The claws burrowed into his arms, and he screamed in pain as they refused to let go, grinding into the bone. He hissed in anger, trying to raise his battle-aura to shed some light into the darkness, to feel the comfort of his ki around him, to banish the creatures that seemed intent on torturing him, to bury the growing fear under his confidence.

And for once, it didn't heed his call.

Something he hadn't felt in years stirred, something he had thought he left behind. The insanity of the Neko-Ken flashed through his mind, and he could feel his conscious control slipping away as the fear and pain grew to be too much to bear. Without a way to control his ki, without a release for the fear, he fell back into the cold madness of the technique.

His eyes clenched shut as the light hit him, blindingly bright after the darkness that had surrounded him for what seemed like an eternity. He felt a hand take hold of the collar of his shirt, hauling him out of the darkness and into the light. It took his befuddled brain several long moments to realize he wasn't in the pit with those nightmarish creatures anymore, but when his thoughts caught up to the situation, he breathed a sigh of relief.

That is, until a hard kick impacted his abused ribcage, drawing fresh blood from the cuts in his side. The same hand hauled him up, and a punch doubled him over. The stench of sake wafted into his face as he stared into the face of a ten-year younger Genma. His father was drunk, again, and Ranma closed his eyes in resignation. He knew what was coming.

"Stupid, worthless boy! After all I did for you, the least you could do is pay me back by learning the Neko-Ken, but no, you're as weak as your mother. I've seen girls who are stronger than you are. You hear me?" His father was screaming into his face now. "You're worthless! A failure! You can't even learn a simple technique! I'm ashamed to have a son like you – you're not a son at all, you're weaker than a girl!"

He should be used to them by now. After all, at this stage in his life, incidents like this and the insults that followed occurred almost daily. He really should know better than to listen to his old man and his twisted ideas. But he had gone almost six years without them; he had shut his father up for good the day he finally beat him during their spars, and the man had not dared utter a word about his son being worthless since them.

But that also meant he had forgotten how to deal with them. Had forgotten how to ignore them, take the sting out of the drunken slurs. Quite the opposite, in fact. Under Kasumi's careful tutelage, he had learned to listen, and listen carefully, to what others said. And listen he did.

And it hurt.

"You're a disgrace to the Art, you're a disgrace to our family, and you're a disgrace as a human being! You don't even deserve to live, as weak as you are!"

Ranma tuned him out. He was miserable enough as it was, terrified of the pit, hurt at his father's words, and in pain from the cuts and bruises all over his body.

It hurt. Despite the fact that he knew his father was a harebrained idiot, and that he now knew what the Neko-Ken truly was, it hurt. He had come to terms with his pride and arrogance, but the accusation of being weak hurt more than he cared to admit. It meant he was unable to protect those he cared for, meant that he couldn't protect Kasumi when push came to shove. It was something he was especially loathe to admit after the last battle at Jusendo.

"He's right, you know," a new voice added, and he suddenly found himself huddling in the corner of the living room of the Tendo dojo. Akane smirked as she stood before him, her eyes showing her disgust for the pigtailed martial artist. "All you can do is break girls' hearts and get into trouble. You never clean up after yourself, either, do you?"

He tried to protest, he really did. But before he could find the words to refute his accuser, the youngest Tendo continued. "Remember what you did to Ryoga? You only thought of yourself. If you had shown the least bit of concern for those around you, you'd never have pushed him into that spring. And what about Ukyo? You chose **food **over her. She's right, you're an egotistical jackass. And Shampoo? She lost her honor because you were thinking with your stomach first and then couldn't help but show off and show them all how great you were."

She snorted derisively. "The great Saotome Ranma. The only thing you're great at is ruining people's lives!" She leaned in, whispering conspirationally. "Like mine. My life was just fine before you showed up, and what happened? You screwed me over! I got kidnapped at least once a week, Kuno got so bad most mental hospitals refused to take him, and my family is on the verge of ruin. You almost got me killed more times than I bet even Nabiki can count, and because of a mess **you** got us all involved in that almost got us **all** killed, I killed someone!" She pulled back. "Ryoga was right. This is all your fault!"

"Don't forget, little sister, he brought us financial ruin. He eats more than his father, and never does a thing to pay for it, either." Nabiki wore her trademark smirk as she joined Akane. "With all the damage he causes the contractors love him. Tell me, Ranma-kun," she hissed, twisting the affectionate nickname into an expression of disgust, "did you ever even **try** to save us some money? Did you ever try not to get the house damaged?"

When he didn't reply, she continued, sneering as he curled up into a corner of the room, wrapping his arms around his legs as tightly as he could, trying to block out their voices. "And then you kept giving me so much trouble when all I asked of you was some photos so I could make some money to support my family. Have you ever thought of how hard it is for a girl my age to find a job?" She pulled out a ledger. "And then I was even so nice and cancelled your entire debt – which was rather considerable – after you came back from Jusendo the first time. Despite the fact that you almost got my little sister killed. And how did you repay us? You pulled the same spiel over and over, never caring how much you cost us."

"Because of you, Saotome, my home is no more," Mousse added from the sidelines. "Your stupidity brought devastation to Joketsuzoku, and nearly destroyed our way of life. You nearly destroyed 3000 years of Amazon culture and history – did you ever show the slightest regret? Any remorse? You're also responsible for Shampoo's curse, and mine, you know. Oh, you didn't push us into the springs at Jusenkyo like you did Ryoga, no, you did it in a much more subtle way. You disgraced Shampoo so that she would be punished by the Council. **You** caused her curse, because you only thought of yourself! If you ever thought of her, cared for her, you would've come back with her the first time and accepted responsibility for your actions like a man!"

The myoptic martial artist snorted. "But your little egotistical mind only revolves around yourself, doesn't it? Shampoo didn't fit in, so you pushed her aside, damn the consequences. That's just like you, Saotome."

The pigtailed boy shrank away from the accusations, trying to sink into the ground, hoping that the hurting would stop. He hardly even noticed the pain from his wounds anymore as old emotional scars he had thought long healed tore open again. He couldn't even muster the strength to rise and get angry anymore.

The only feeling left in him was despair. _So_, he absently mused, _this is how Ryoga feels all the time?_ He opened his mouth, but before any words could come out, he heard a new voice, a voice he would recognize anywhere.

A voice that was usually warm and soothing, and now sounded cold and unforgiving. A voice he knew he loved, and a voice he could bear to hear words of anger from least.

"And let's not forget, Ranma-kun," Kasumi noted as she entered from the kitchen, "you're no stranger to killing, yourself. You claim you are a martial artist, yet you don't have the discipline to control your own actions. You killed someone because you lost control of your actions in anger. You always tell Akane-chan she needs to control her anger, but what about yourself?"

The eldest Tendo daughter stared at him expressionlessly, something that seemed just wrong on her perpetually happy face. "You're no better than that Kuno boy, you know. No control and living in a world of your own, drowning in your own ego." She sneered. Ranma didn't see her, but he could feel it nonetheless.

He could almost feel her words cut into his soul, shattering the little peace he had found for himself, the little solace he had found in thinking about the young woman who held his heart.

"I was a fool to even think I could care for someone like you. Someone who thinks he is a martial artist, but in truth is nothing more than a danger to himself and those around him. And that's all you are. It's just a matter of time until you loose control yet again and kill someone again. I will never tolerate a killer in my home. Leave, Ranma-kun, and never come back. You are no longer welcome in my home."

"Kasumi," he finally managed to whisper, his voice shaky and hoarse. "Kasumi," he repeated, finally mustering the strength to look up and into her accusing face. She smiled, but that smile was devoid of the warmth he was used to, instead, her eyes blazed with a hatred for him that made him cringe.

"You heard me, Ranma-kun. You're no longer welcome here." The eldest Tendo sister turned her back on him and walked away, joining the others as they lined up at the walls.

"You're not welcome at my home, either, Ranma." The new voice spat his name with disgust. "I no longer call you my son. If it weren't for the dishonor it would bring my clan to have someone such as you, I would demand you commit seppuku. But not even that can bring back our family's honor." Nodoka hefted the Saotome blade. "But it never was any concern of yours, was it?"

She snorted. "Of course it wasn't. After all your father did for you, after I gave birth to you, you repay us by not honoring our wishes and defying the ancient traditions. I would have your head, but it'll only bring more shame to me to have taken the life of a worthless and honorless ronin. All it ever was for you was what you could do for yourself. I'm ashamed to have given birth to someone like you."

The pigtailed boy's eyes snapped open. "No. That's not true," he whispered. "It's not true." Nodoka chuckled grimly. "Isn't it?"

_Not Kasumi…not mother…please, anyone but them,_ he mentally screamed as his world collapsed around him. He glanced over at Kasumi, only to see her cold brown eyes. His gaze returned to his mother, only to have a tanto thrust in his face.

"It would be better for everyone if you spared us all much grief and ended your miserable existence right now." Nodoka dropped the ceremonial knife and turned.

Ranma's eyes widened in shock at the sight of the weapon. _Not now…not ever. I'll never take my own life. _He stood, catching the tanto before it hit the ground.

"No," he said, his voice still wavering, but a bit of its old strength returning. Nodoka turned to look at him, one eyebrow arched inquisitively.

"Oh? So you're going to be egotistical even to the end?"

He took a deep breath, sorting through his jumbled thoughts. "I have done what I can to keep true to myself. I refuse to stain my honor with something so…stupid," he spat. "I have done what I could, bound in an untenable position. I have finally found acceptance, and someone who loves me." A pointed look at Kasumi was ignored, even as he continued. "I have always tried to protect those around me, and whatever honor demanded, I fulfilled." _Everything. I did everything they ever wanted. I fought chanllengers, and won. I fought to protect them, and won. I saved their lives and their honor, I resolved every piece of trouble oyaji created for me, and I came out on top. I managed to tell Kasumi I love her. I did everything. I will do everything. But I won't do this. I don't care what they're saying, but I'll never do it._

Ranma threw the dagger back at his mother angrily. "Anything but this. I will not commit seppuku." Unknown to him, his aura flared around him, tinged a deep red with his anger as he spoke, his words quiet, almost a whisper, yet holding his audience at rapt attention. His anger finally overriding his misery, he spun to face his father.

"You're a stupid moron who never considered anything except your own well-being! If you believe I have no skill in the Art, then face me, here, now, and I'll show you just how worthless I am!" He turned to Akane.

"And you – have you ever thought that your problems were of your own making? And Nabiki, do you realize what would have happened if I truly hadn't cared if your family lived or died? Cologne could have torn down your home and burned it to cinders, and she would have done it without a second thought if I had told her that it was the only thing holding me there!"

Not giving them a chance to reply, he turned on the others. "The destruction of Joketzusoku is no one's fault but your own, Mousse. If your people weren't so stuck in their ways, if your elders hadn't been so blinded by their arrogance, they would all still be alive, instead of being a pathetic little group of survivors struggling to keep what's left of their culture alive!"

"And you, Kasumi," Ranma's voice softened as he addressed the brunette. "You showed me kindness. You were the first to care for me. I would walk through hell and back if you asked it of me. Even if you say you despise me, even if you tell me that you hate me…I would do it still. It hurts to hear those words from you, but I love you anyway." He sighed as he faced his mother.

"Mother, I will do anything you ask of me, except this. I will not take my own life. That has always been a decision that has truly been my own. In taking my life I would admit defeat. Defeat to life, defeat to anything and everything I've accomplished. I refuse to let it have been in vain. Cast me from your clan, declare a blood feud, hunt me down, but never," his eyes flashed dangerously, "**never**, ask this of me."

He whirled around to face the rest of the crowd, and with a thunderous roar let his aura spring to life, letting out all his anger and depression. The flame of his ki burned high, scorching the ceiling as it flickered and writhed around him in an ethereal dance.

"I am Saotome Ranma, and I **never** loose!"

V-------------------V

His aura was still burning, and his voice still echoing around the cavern as he landed back on the stone platform, causing Ryoga and Shampoo, who were closest to him, to scramble back. By the time the shout had faded and Ranma had regained control over his emotions and reigned in his aura, they were staring at him fearfully.

The pigtailed young man, however, just collapsed to the ground in exhaustion, causing Nodoka to hurry over.

"Mom?" he asked weakly as she fussed over him, and the Saotome matriarch smiled. "How are you feeling, son?"

Ranma closed his eyes at the sight of her smile. _She loves me. She really does. It was all just a bad dream…_He wrapped his arms around her. "I love you, mom," he whispered.

"I love you, too, my son." Nodoka smiled down as Ranma was soon fast asleep.

Lotion and Ryoga were looking around the pillars, keeping a good distance from the first, whose kanji still glowed a pure white. Suddenly, a second pillar lit up, it's kanji reading "Pride." With a startled shout, Shampoo vanished.

V-------------------V

Shampoo took a deep breath and opened her eyes, not really knowing what to expect. To her surprise, she was standing on a platform that seemed to float high in the sky, amidst the clouds. She glanced over the edge and couldn't see the ground; the vast expanse of blue stretched every way she looked. For a moment, Shampoo allowed herself a smile. If this was indeed up in the sky, then no one, not even Ranma, had ever been up this high. From the central platform led four bridges, each leading through an arch towards another platform.

Carefully, she crossed the first bridge. As soon as she approached the arch, specks of light began swirling before her very eyes, condensing into the form of a young woman. Shampoo was startled when she began to speak, her voice a deep rumble that echoed around her. "You are a warrior, are you not?" She nodded, slowly. "You have always used the right weapons to be rid of your enemies, and those that would do you harm, have you not?" Again, the young amazon nodded. "I give you the tool to fulfill this quest. Bring me the sungem that is inside. Here is the sword you shall need, use it well."

When nothing more seemed forthcoming, Shampoo gingerly took the pro-offered blade, inspecting it carefully; the blade was forged from a black metal that had been chipped until the edge was as ragged as a very fine saw; still, she could tell it was extremely sharp. Shampoo shuddered as she felt its unsettling aura. She stepped through the arch, adopting a defensive stance as soon as she was through. If she had been handed a weapon, then there must surely be something dangerous here.

What awaited her, was, again, something unexpected. She found herself face to face with a young girl, who was toying with a small, glowing yellow gem. For a moment, the lavender-haired young woman was unsure of what to do – she knew she had to get the crystal somehow, so she knelt down before the girl, her senses alert. "Hello," Shampoo spoke, slowly. The girl looked up. "I need the gem," the amazon told the girl in her native tongue, extending her palm.

Instead of placing the small stone in her hand as Shampoo had expected, the girl clutched it tighter, whispering, "I can't give it to you. I hold this stone with my life." Shampoo's face fell, but before she could say anything, the girl spoke again.

"Ye who hold the razor's blade,

forged of darkest iron,

quenched by blood and fear,

know that ye hold the key

to the one who holds

the goddess's tear."

It took a while for Shampoo to digest these words. "This sword is the key?" Eyes wide in shock and disbelief, Shampoo almost tossed the sword aside. _Anything but this. I won't kill a child. I can't do this, not even if the goddess asked it of me._ "I won't murder you for the stone," she whispered. "I can't kill you. There has to be another way." The girl continued to look at her, her unsettling red eyes boring deep into Shampoo's being, but she remained silent.

Meanwhile, the young amazon warred with her conscience. She refused to take a life in cold blood, yet wasn't that what was required of her? Now, at last, she knew how Ranma had felt when he had been the one who was confronted with this dilemma. She couldn't, wouldn't strike down an unarmed, innocent child. It went against everything she had been taught, against her personal code of honor as a warrior. A few years ago she would have killed the girl without hesitation; back then, she would have simply considered her an obstacle to another victory, but the years and battle had taught her that life was too valuable for needless death. Shampoo didn't like to admit it, but it had been a lost cause from the start. With a regretful sigh, she knelt and placed the sword before the girl. "I cannot kill you," she told her slowly. "I refuse to do so. Take this sword back, and send me to my friends."

Instead of the expected reaction, though, the girl smiled, one hand reaching for the hilt of the sword. As soon as she touched it, the blade shifted color from its midnight black to an ivory white, and Shampoo felt its aura dissipate, almost as if a curse upon the sword had been dispelled. With her other hand, the girl grasped Shampoo's, and pushed the gem into her hands, closing her fingers around it. And then, in a silver flash, Shampoo found herself back on the central platform.

The young amazon stared in wonder at the small crystal in her palm, and smiled. Admitting defeat hadn't been an easy thing to do, but it had been worth it. With a more confident spring in her step, Shampoo approached the next arch. Again, the apparition coalesced before her. "Know, child, there is a stone before us. Two paths, two doors, yet both lead to our goal, yes? You have made many choices during your life, walked many paths, and affected many lives, even if that was not your intention. Such is the fate of all humans; all those who live with choices. Maybe others concern you little, perhaps it consumes your soul. That, too, is a choice."

Shampoo nodded. "What does this have to do with the gem?"

"The path you take shall affect another this day. Another who is innocent of the action you take, yet affected by it just the same. One of those who travel with you, who is yet innocent of your ancestor's wrongdoings…will do nicely." The young woman snapped her fingers, and Shampoo froze in abject horror. She smiled humorlessly. "Remember, child, a choice must be made; and it is you who must live with the consequences of that choice. Go to my left, and sacrifice for the innocent. Go to my right…and save yourself."

On shaky legs, Shampoo strode past the apparition, to stare into the room beyond. A transparent wall separated her from the small alter on which the sungem lay, and to her horror she could see Ranma, in female form, frozen above the altar. For a moment, she caught Ranma's eye, and the fear and despair that went through her friend's eyes nearly drove the young amazon to tears. She could see he was reliving his memories of the _Neko-Ken_, and knew what it was doing to his sanity.

Swallowing hard, Shampoo opened the door to the left. There wasn't really a choice. No matter what she said, she mused, she was still to some extent in love with him. Almost immediately after stepping into the room, she collapsed to her knees as a searing pain shot through her mind. She clutched her head as memories began flooding into her mind, flashing before her eyes.

A dark pit.

Glowing eyes.

Scratching, screeching, clawing, biting.

The pain. The fear. The anger.

The screams.

She couldn't avert her eyes, couldn't close them, couldn't shut out the terrifying images that raced past her, knowing this was what Ranma dreamt of. Shampoo let out an almost inhuman wail of despair and fear as the memories came faster and faster, flashing by her so fast she had trouble keeping them apart.

Finally, the only things that penetrated through the haze that clouded her thoughts were the emotions that carried over from the memories.

Pain. Fear. Anger. Fear. Hatred. Fear. Pain. Fear. Desperation. Fear. Pain. Despair. Fear. Anguish. Pain. Fear.

It was something she never wanted to relive again; and now that she finally knew the full extent of what had been done to Ranma, she felt that maybe she should have hit Genma when she had the chance. It seemed like an eternity for her, but finally, the memories subsided, leaving her drained and exhausted on the floor. Heaving deep, shuddering breaths, Shampoo tried to calm her nerves, tried to tell herself it hadn't been real, that it hadn't been her going through that; she even tried to distract herself by thinking of numerous ways to torture Genma for what he had done to his son.

Unfortunately, neither worked. She could still feel the lingering of claws on her skin, could feel the hot breath of dozens of starving cats on her neck, could still see the golden eyes glowing in the dark whenever she closed her eyes. Shakily, she stood and made her way across the room, using the wall to support herself. In time, she hoped, the memory would fade; but for now, she had a newfound respect for Ranma. Talking about the _Neko-Ken_ and being forced to remember this would have broken another person a dozen times over.

When she reached the final chamber, she snatched the small gem from the altar and quickly hurried out of the room.

Once outside, Shampoo collapsed to her hands and knees. Crawling over to the edge of the platform, she spent the next several minutes emptying the contents of her stomach over said edge. She didn't know how long it took for her to compose herself, and the sky didn't show any signs of dimming, but Shampoo decided she had to continue with this trial. She still shuddered whenever she thought about the memories she had been shown, but was able to walk, albeit a bit shakily.

Once more the young woman who seemed to be the guardian of this trial appeared before her. "One of the stones is very near, just beyond either of these two rooms. You have encountered many times in your life where you have been forced to swallow your fear, have you not? You have fought off terror that would have overwhelmed a lesser being and shown courage, instead. Pass through either of these rooms, and your courage shall be challenged." A cloak suddenly appeared in her hand, and if Shampoo hadn't already emptied her stomach, she would have done so again as she realized what it had been made out of.

Human skin.

The spectre continued. "I have something, however, that will make things much easier for you. You know that items of magic can do so much an ordinary person cannot…such as this cloak. Stitched together from the flayed skins of our mortal enemies, the Musk and Phoenix, it's powerful magic shall soothe your fears, and panic shall never overcome you."

Shampoo snorted in disgust. "Out of my way. I don't need something that evil. I can sense it from here." She marched past her through the ark, and found herself before two corridors. Shrugging, she picked the left one, and walked through, wondering what this challenge had in store for her.

When it began, however, Shampoo almost wished she **had** accepted the cloak. The corridor turned several times, cutting off any light that came from the entrance, leaving her to navigate her path in complete darkness just by touch. That was when she first heard the sound, a quiet, low, cat-like hiss. Suppressing a shudder, she turned around, only to stare right into a pair of glowing amber eyes. With a frightened yell, Shampoo began sprinting away from it, the _Neko-Ken_ not forgotten.

Behind her she could hear a growing number of cats yowling, hissing, screeching, and each time she glanced over her shoulder, she could see more yellow eyes in the darkness. It was bound to happen; Shampoo stumbled over a small rock on the ground and fell, slamming hard into a wall. She tried to scramble to her feet, but by the time she managed that the cats had caught up with her.

Breathing heavily, the young warrior forced her breathing to calm down and tried to soothe her nerves. After all, she hadn't really gone through the _Neko-Ken_ herself. Ranma had had much more reason to be scared of cats; she could understand his overwhelming terror now, could understand the psychological harm she and Akane had done to him when she had jumped into his arms as a cat, or had been pushed there by Akane. It also made his courage even more impressive; the time he had intentionally driven himself into the _Neko-Ken_ to defeat her great-grandmother came to mind.

Shampoo suppressed a shiver as the cat-like noises around her continued. _It wasn't the _Neko-Ken_, I never went through the training. It's just a memory, I didn't really go through that. A warrior should be strong. I shouldn't be scared of them. I didn't go through that,_ she mentally chanted. It took her a long time, but she finally managed to control herself and move. Eyes still clenched shut and breathing shallow, Shampoo hurried through the corridor, trying to ignore the yowling and scratching behind her. She idly wondered if the memory would ever fade.

The sungem gave off a soft golden glow, and Shampoo was glad it did, making it much easier to find. Quickly snatching it off its pedestal, she hurried out, the light from the gem lighting the way enough for her to make it out in a rush. She didn't spare the arch a second glance as she passed through it, didn't stop running until she stood on the central platform again.

She eyed the last bridge warily. The first one hadn't been too bad, but the last two trials had been an experience she could have done without. With a sigh Shampoo realized that to leave this place and return to the other she would have to complete the test – failure was, for her, not an option. Now that Ranma had completed his, there was no way she would be coming back empty-handed. With a determined huff, she strode off towards the last arch.

The by now familiar form of the guardian appeared. "So, you have come, for the last of the celestial stones. You have come a long way, and now are close to the end, yes indeed you are. But only you hold the power to vanquish the terrible creature that guards it." As if possible, the spectre looked pleased, "Your battle prowess is known amongst the ancestors! Phoenix and Musk amd demons alike, thrown aside, your glorious battles with them unforgotten. Creatures others would quake before in terror you have fought valiantly, and brought honor to the tribe! Now, go, child of the Joketsuzoku, and claim your latest victory! Defeat the creature that lays beyond, and end your quest."

Eyebrow arched, Shampoo leaned sideways, trying to catch a glimpse of the inside cavern. She smirked when the spectre had acknowledged her skill, and mentally grinned at what her great-grandmother would say that even their ancestors' spirits knew about her. Evening her breathing, the young amazon readied herself for the coming battle, when a stray thought crossed her mind. "Say," she asked the guardian in Mandarin, "what kind of creature is it? Musk? Phoenix?"

"It is a powerful one! One only you can destroy, I am sure of it. You are the only one with the ability to deal its death, young child." _Something is wrong here,_ Shampoo thought. _She's not giving a straight answer._ "Okay," she said slowly, "it's strong, but **what** is it?"

The spectre seemed oblivious to her question, instead talking itself into a frenzy. "One that deserves death! Only you can succeed where others have failed."

"Yes, yes, that's all well and good, but **why** does it deserve death, and **what** the hell is it!" The young woman was on the verge of shouting. Never having had much patience outside of combat – and even in combat situations, Cologne had always admonished her that she was too aggressive – the spectre's cryptic answers were beginning to strain her nerves.

"Well…because…because it's in your way!" The guardian seemed to fumble for the right words now. "It exists, therefore it must be vanquished!"

Shampoo grimaced. "I don't just kill things because they're in my way," she told the guardian; images of her chasing a female Ranma through China and Japan came to mind, and of the Kiss of Death. "Anymore," she amended.

"You do not?" The guardian almost seemed to smile at that realization. "Then perhaps you have learned your lesson, child. Great deeds do not always make great people. Perhaps now you consider the reasons behind every blow and the consequences of every strike. Despite your deeds, worthy of the ancient ones, you carry little pride in you. Humility serves well those who wield it well." It stepped aside, letting her pass.

When she entered the cavern, Shampoo could only gape at the sight that presented itself to her. A massive dragon was coiled up in the center, its silver scales glittering in the faint light. The elongated head rested on two short arms that ended in three claws each, and its long body seemed to writhe even though it was clearly asleep. Its eyes opened when she took her first step into the room, and Shampoo nearly took an involuntary step back when she felt the dragon's onyx eyes focusing on her. It opened its jaws, the teeth longer than most swords, and spoke in a deep, rumbling voice that seemed to come from everywhere around them and shook the cavern.

"You have mastered your pride, child. Take your prize." With that, it uncoiled, leaving behind a small, glittering gem in the center of the room where its body had hidden it from view. Without another words, it stretched itself to its full, imposing length, and took to the skies. As soon as Shampoo touched the sungem, she was transported back to the others.

V-------------------V

As soon as Shampoo appeared back on the platform, she rushed over to where Nodoka was cradling her son. Ranma was shivering, and it wasn't from the cold, but as he caught sight of Shampoo, he managed a weak smile and sat up. "Thanks, Shampoo. I'm sorry you had to go through that."

The amazon shrugged. "No problem. Just another scary, scary memory." Her voice took a dangerous undertone. "But Shampoo think of several ways to make panda-rug for it."

Ranma chuckled, a sound that made both women smile. "Yeah, that's pops for you. An idiot if there ever was one."

"Ranma! You shouldn't talk about your father like that!" Nodoka scolded him, and Ranma winced until he saw the grin on his mother's face. "Especially when it's not true. He is much more than an idiot. One might even call him a moron."

The three broke out into laughter at that, while Ryoga clapped the pigtailed martial artist on his shoulder. "What happened, anyway? We were getting worried when you disappeared again."

"You don't want to know, Ryoga, you don't want to know." Ranma shuddered, and the lost boy cringed at the haunted look in his friend's eyes. Ryoga opened his mouth to speak, but before he could get a word out, he vanished in a flash of silver fire. Behind him, Lotion ducked her head sheepishly as the group stared at the hand she still had on the third pillar.

"Sorry," she said.

V-------------------V

Ryoga grunted as he fell on his face. If it hadn't been for the breaking point training, he was sure he would have broken his nose. As it was, he rubbed said appendage in mild annoyance and looked around himself. He turned around when he heard a rasp behind him, and almost wished he hadn't as rocks and boulders of all sizes and shapes came thundering down from above.

"You've gotta be kidding me! Ranma, this is all your fault!" With his familiar warcry, the lost boy launched himself into the mass of oncoming rocks, his hands extended before him. "_Hinokuruma_!" The angry red ki-blast tore through the rocks with ease as he continued fuelling the beam. The rockslide continued for another minute before subsiding, leaving Ryoga to collapse in exhaustion. The ki-blast in itself wasn't all that draining, but keeping it focused so that it didn't bring down more of the roof and sustaining it for over a minute had taken its toll on him.

"Help! Someone help me!" the faint voice echoed through the tunnel, and the lost boy froze. That had sounded like…"Akari!" Without a second thought, Ryoga sprinted off in the direction the voice had come from, for once not being mislead by his sense of direction. He skidded to a stop a few feet from a solid wall where a rockslide had most likely caused the ceiling to cave in. He could hear Akari's voice again, louder this time. "Help! Please, get me out of here!"

Ryoga reached forward and, sinking his hands to the elbows into the pile of rocks, pulled back, causing a rush of rocks and debris to wash over him. Extracting himself from the mess on the ground, he took a hold of the largest boulder he could find and pulled, wrenching it free from the wall the rockslide had formed and tossing it behind him. Minutes passed, and his frantic work slowly began wearing down on the lost boy's monstrous strength. The tunnel behind him filled up with boulders of all sizes and shapes, and yet more were before him.

He continued with his work, adrenaline providing his failing muscles with the strength he needed, but the more he dug, the thicker the wall separating him from Akari seemed to get. At one instant he considered using the Breaking Point to detonate the wall, but quickly dismissed that idea as too dangerous; it could easily bring down the rest of the ceiling down on him and the shrapnel might blow through to the other side and hit Akari.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Ryoga could feel his hands break through to the other side; he could hear Akari's elated shout, but that was when, despite his considerable willpower, despite all the adrenaline pumping through his veins, his arms and legs gave out, forcing him to collapse onto the ground, where he lay, breathing heavily. "Hang on," he shouted between breaths, "I'm coming, Akari-san!"

Grunting in pain and exertion, Ryoga pushed himself to his feet, leaning against the wall as he did. "Akari-san, get clear!" Not waiting for any reply, Ryoga hauled back and slammed a double palmstrike into the remainder of the wall, putting all of his strength into the one blow.

The wall crumbled around him and he staggered through, only to pull back into a defensive stance at the sight before him. A young woman stood between three pillars, and hanging from each one, was a girl.

To his left, Akari cast him an expectant look, while Akane struggled with her bonds in the center, but stopped to smile in relief. But what really scared Ryoga was that Ranma was hanging from the last support, to his right, in girl-form, her head hanging and a defeated look in her eyes.

The young woman turned to face him, a sneer her only expression. "So, you have made it here, outsider. I would not have thought anyone, least of all a male, to manage to pass. But passed you have, and now you face a choice." She gestured to the three above them.

"Your task is simple. Choose one to live, and two to die. Choose neither, and they all shall perish."

Ryoga stood in shocked silence. "What?" He finally managed to utter. "What the hell are you talking about? I'm not gonna choose someone and let the others die!" He frowned. _This isn't even real. I mean, Akari and Akane are back home, and Ranma is…wait a moment. They took Ranma to Shampoo's trial, so he might actually be…_

"What's going on here?" The lost boy glared at the woman guarding the three captived, a dangerous glint in his eyes.

"It's simple, is it not? Choose the person you want to live the most. It is a choice that has to be made from the heart." She smirked. "Know that you cannot save all three. Two of them will die this day."

Ryoga stared at the three girls, his eyes searching for something, anything that would help him get out of this mess alive along with all three of them. His eyes caught a glimmer of gold at Ranma's throat that wasn't obscured by her red hair. It was a golden choker that, upon closer inspection, found itself on all three, a dark yellow stone pulsing in the center.

_There has to be a way…_He started towards the woman on the ground, but his fist simply passed through the apparition. She laughed. "I shall let your transgression pass once, but know that if you strike at me again, I shall kill them all."

"I…I can't." Ryoga's eyes wandered from Akari to Akane to Ranma, and back, over and over, searching for anything to help him make the choice. Nothing was forthcoming.

"Pick one, Ryoga," Ranma whispered from her perch in the air. "I don't care which, just pick one of them." Her low voice carried through the air down to the ground, causing Ryoga to look up in surprise.

Green eyes met blue, and he reflexively shied back from the dullness in his friend's eyes. There was no fire in them, no life, as if Ranma had given up already and was prepared to accept death. Ryoga growled. _This isn't like him. This isn't Ranma. Ranma would fight tooth and nail before they'd catch him, and then he'd move heaven and earth to get all of us out here alive._

Seemingly reading his thoughts, the pigtailed girl shrugged. "I can't fight anymore, Ryoga. I don't have anything left to give. So just pick one of them and get the hell outta here."

"Shut up!" The lost boy roared, his voice echoing around the cavern. "Shut up!" he repeated, satisfied at the shocked look in his rival's eyes. "Now listen, Ranma, and listen good," he snarled. "We're all getting out of here. All four of us. You've never given up, and neither will I, so shut up about me picking one of them! Either we all leave, or none of us leaves!"

Out of the corner of his eye, Ryoga could see the apparition smirk in amusement. He growled, baring his fangs at her, before returning his attention to Ranma. "You hear me! Now get off your lazy ass and help me figure this out!"

"Ryoga-san! Please, I don't want to die!" Akari's voice turned him over. The girl had tears streaking down her face as she hung suspended in the air.

"Come on, Ryoga-kun. We've all stood by you, now you've got to pick one of us." Akane sounded sad, as if knowing already she wouldn't be chosen.

"How? How can I choose one and let the others die?" Ryoga threw a ki-blast at the ceiling in frustration. There had to be some way; if need be he'd stay and find one, even if it took forever. He refused to let any of them die.

The apparition chose that moment to snap her fingers, an hourglass appearing before her. "I may have all of eternity at my disposal, outsider, but you do not. You have time to decide until the sands have run their course."

The lost boy stared as the sand began flowing through the hourglass. _Which? Which do I choose?_ He stared around, looking at the three above him in turn. _Do I love Akari? Or Akane? And what about Ranma?_

"What do I do?" He whispered, staring down at his hands. For all his strength and skill, he was unable to choose when it mattered. _It is a choice that has to be made from the heart. But what does my heart say?_

He looked at each of the girls' faces, trying to sort out his feelings in the few precious seconds that remained. _Is it love? Friendship? Loyalty? I don't know…I don't know!_

"Time." The woman snapped her fingers again, and appeared before Ryoga. "Your decision?"

The lost boy hissed angrily as he came to a decision. _I'm not giving up on any of them. Not even once I figure out what they mean to me. Not now, not ever._ "We all leave, or we all die here today. I'm not leaving any of them behind."

"Ryoga, you idiot!" Ranma shouted from up above; the lost boy turned a solemn look at her. "You always fought with all you had to keep all of us safe. I'm not letting any of you behind, even if it means I die. After all, no greater man than one who gives his life for his friends, right?" The redhead's eyes flashed briefly in recognition, but Ryoga had already turned away.

"As you wish." The apparition smiled, and the three stones on the three matched chokers began to glow. Three silmultaneous gasps for air resounded in the chamber, and Ryoga looked on in horror as all three girls began choking as the collars contracted.

_No…I'm not gonna let them die. I'm not!_ Before the lost boy could do anything Ranma's voice echoed around the cavern as the pigtailed girl lashed out, once, the brief distortion of air barely visible to the naked eye as the vacuum blades traversed the air, breaking the stones on the other two girls' collars neatly in half.

Akane and Akari screamed as they fell, but Ryoga had already moved under Akari, seeing that Ranma was angling down to catch the youngest Tendo before she hit the ground. He caught Akari with ease, and turned around to check on Akane. When he did, he almost dropped Akari. He set her on her feet and sprinted over, pushing past Akane to reach Ranma.

The redhead was on her back, her breathing almost entirely stopped. Ryoga pulled her head into his lap, clawing at the collar, frantically trying to rid his friend of the infernal device, but despite his strength, it wouldn't budge.

Ranma's hand atop his stopped him briefly, and the redhead opened her eyes. Ryoga almost smiled as they cleared, determination shining in them. "Got them down," Ranma wheezed. "Now you get them out."

"You're coming with us. No way am I leaving you here – Kasumi would have my head if I let anything happen to you." Ryoga resumed his futile struggle with the collar, stopping short of using the breaking point to shatter it. "I'll get this thing off of you," he muttered grimly, "and then we'll all go home and eat Kasumi's dinner, and you can get all lovey-dovey with her again, you hear me? Don't quit on me!"

The redhead's grip slackened slightly, and her eyes started to close. Panicking, Ryoga heaved at the collar with all his might. "I-I can't. I can't even dent it…" he whispered.

"Get them out, Ryoga." Ranma's words faded along with her strength. "I'll be fine. After all, 'no better man than one who gives his life for his friends,' right?" The redhead smiled at the quote, and Ryoga wiped at a lone tear angrily. The lost boy shook the small frame of the still girl. "Come on! You're Ranma, you're undefeated! You're invincible! You've got to live…you were my only friend…"

With a roar, the lost boy gathered his ki and thrust his anger and depression at the source of it all. With a small, almost inaudible crack, the crystal splintered into fragments, and Ryoga found himself falling into darkness.

V-------------------V

"Oy, Mr. P. Wake up. Nap time's over." Ryoga groggily opened his eyes at the familiar voice, and jumped up when he saw his rival and friend's face. "Ranma! You're alive! And Akane, and Akari-" he lunged at the pigtailed boy, only to have him sidestep. Once again, Ryoga landed on the ground nose-first. At any other time, this would have incensed the lost boy, but right now, he was simply too happy it had all been a bad dream.

"Sorry, Ryoga. Not into guys." Ranma grinned. "Anyway, now that you're back in the land of the living…"

"Lost boy tell all juicy details, yes?" Shampoo grinned, as well. "Shampoo hear lost boy talk about Akane and pig-farmer girlfriend. Maybe do too too pigsy things, yes?"

Ryoga did what he always did. He fainted.

"Last trial," Nodoka pronounced from where she crouched next to the last pillar, and Lotion exchanged a glance with eldest Saotome before she read the last inscription. "Honor."

With the one word, Nodoka flashed out of existence, leaving a wide-eyed Ranma to stare at the space his mother had occupied moments before.

V-------------------V

Saotome Nodoka was a very well-trained martial artist; she prided herself on her ability in battle and calm in combat. And, being a very traditional person, she was also well versed in the traditional rituals. And still, despite the fact that the scene was nothing new to her, and despite the fact that she had lived through what could only be described as a small war several years prior, the scene she found herself staring at made the woman want to retch.

Only the fact that she knew what was expected of her and the iron control she exuded over her body at that moment kept her standing upright, with her arms raised high above her head and the familiar weight of the Saotome honor blade in her hands. She blinked, staring down at the person kneeling below her clad in a white kimono and clutching a tanto as he recited the short haiko that the one performing the ceremony usually prepared.

Then, he looked up, and blue eyes met blue as she stared into eyes that held an almost infinite sadness, and Nodoka stifled a sob, knowing her duty. The worst thing was that they held no recriminination, no anger, only regret. She felt herself opening her mouth to speak. "Saotome Ranma, for the transgression against the family honor of the clan Kuonji, the clan Daikkoku, the clan Shura, the clan Hino, the clan Eboshi, the clan Mori, the clan Ise, the clan Harada, the clan Ishikawa, the clan Ienari, the clan Katsumata, the clan Nishio, the clan Takamura, and the clan Kogara, and for your inability to fulfill all the contracts pledged in your name, you have chosen to commit seppuku, to restore the honor of clan Saotome."

She watched, unable to cry, as her son nodded, slowly inching the blade towards his abdomen. She wanted to cry out, to stop him from this madness, but found that an overwhelming part of her mind seemed delighted – not only at the fact that the stain on her family's honor was finally gone, but also at the fact that she would no longer have to bear any responsibility for a son, and could once more live the way she wanted to. The small part of her mind that protested this situation found itself appalled at that line of thought.

_Do I really want this?_ Nodoka asked herself as she watched Ranma stab the tanto towards him seemingly in slow motion. _Is this what I really wanted? No! I accepted Ranma, curse and all, and I promised I would love him no matter what. This cannot be true – I would never ask this of him…would I?_ She watched impassively as the dagger pierced the skin, leaving a fine trickle of blood to run down the silver blade.

_I love my son! I'd never ask this of him, not even for the sake of honor…I'd rather sacrifice myself than be his second!_ With a sickening rasp, the blade slid to the hilt into her son's body, and still his expression remained unchanged as he dragged it across his torso. _Is this how he sees me? Is this how much he feared this would happen?_

By now Nodoka was screaming at her body to deliver the mercy stroke, to end her son's suffering at his own hands, but her body wouldn't comply. _I can't…I can't watch this…why can't I stop it? I can't move, I can't think. I –_

Her thoughts were violently interrupted when the body slumped to the ground, and Ranma's blue eyes closed slowly. It was then that Nodoka realized she had not performed her duty as she should have. It was up to the second to decide when the person committing seppuku had suffered enough, and end their pain swiftly – and she had let him sit there, beneath her, to bleed to a painful death, the tanto in his hands, its blade and hilt drenched in his blood and his white haori stained a deep crimson.

Nodoka opened her mouth, but to her horror the only sound that emerged was laughter. _No!_ she mentally screamed, _this is not me! I wouldn't do this, wouldn't laugh at my son's death! This isn't me!_ A tiny voice in her mind nagged, though. _Isn't it? Maybe this is not you, but maybe this is how he saw you when he was hiding from you. Did you ever give "Ranko" any other idea than that you were the nice, neighborhood, katana-wielding and honor-obsessed lady? You did let Genma have him for ten years._

With an unearthly shriek, Nodoka spasmed, tossing the sword aside and kneeling next to her son's corpse. It didn't register that she finally had control over her body again as she sat there and wept for a long time. The tears were still flowing when her hand found the tanto he had used to take his life, and she clutched it tightly against her. "I'll be with you soon, my son. Maybe this way I can atone for my own sins against you."

_Do you really want to do this? _She frowned despite her tears at the inner voice. _He loved you. Would he want you to throw your life away? Would you serve him by doing this in any way?_ Her gaze wandered to the dagger in her hands as she knelt next to his corpse, and slowly raised the blade to her neck, ignoring the voice.

_Are you that much of a coward, Saotome Nodoka, that you cannot live with the knowledge of what you have done? You speak of atonement, but how can you truly pay penance for your actions?_ "I'll pay with my death. The life I have taken will be paid for with my own life. I do not deserve to live anymore, not after driving my only son to this."

_You are taking the easy way out, then. In death, there is no peace, there is no consolation. You are just trying to prevent yourself from feeling the grief and guilt. That is the real reason, isn't it?_ Nodoka paused, her resolve faltering for a moment. "There is nothing I can do. I cannot bring him back to life, and I can never make up for what I have taken from him. This is the only way to repay my own debt of honor."

_You know that is not true. He needs to be remembered. And no one, not a single person, except Kasumi and you, knows how he truly lived. You can make sure he is remembered by those left behind. _"I - " Tears dripped off her chin, splattering onto the blade and mixing with the blood there. "I – " The auburn-haired woman sobbed and threw the tanto aside, clutching at her son's body in a death grip as she cried in earnest once more.

V-------------------V

"Mom? Mom!" Someone was shaking her, a small part of her brain registered between the tears. "Mom, you all right? What's wrong, Mom?" Slowly, carefully, she opened her eyes and stared into a pair of sky blue eyes that shone with relief. She sobbed as she engulfed her son in a crushing hug and cried into his shoulder.


	5. Chapter 5: The Fake Sungoddess

Chapter Five: The Fake Sungoddess

Cologne flicked her staff, pulling down the last bar across her home's door, locking it shut. "They've found you, child. This is not good." Behind her, Ukyo rose from her perch on a chair and slung her bandolier of spatulas across her shoulder and picked up her large battle spatula.

"Not a friendly call, I take it then?"

Cologne snorted at the girl's question. "I can almost guarantee you that if they find you, you're not going to like the results," the elder told her. "And neither will I," she added under her breath. A lound banging on the door brought their attention to it, and the heavy wooden boards creaked in protest under the strain as some heavy blunt object was slammed against it repeatedly.

"Child," Cologne turned towards Ukyo and joined her as the chef upturned a table. "I'm afraid I've lingered too long in keeping you here."

Ukyo chuckled dryly. "Nah, it's fine. I don't run."

"This is not a battle we can win, I'm afraid."

"Says the best fighter of her generation." Ukyo smirked.

"I may be, but most of the techniques I know that would take care of this number of opponents could very well level a part of the village and kill many of my sisters. And I'm afraid Brush and Perfume and their followers have no qualms about using crippling blows."

The pounding on the door stopped before Ukyo could reply, to be replaced by a parched old voice that Ukyo recognized as Brush's.

"Khu Lon," the former elder shouted in Chinese, "we know you and the outsider are hiding in there! Our goddess demands her as her sacrifice! Hand her over and no harm will befall you." Cologne snorted in disdain.

Ukyo, on the other hand, tightened her grip on the handle of her battle spatula. "You sure you don't have a backdoor?" Cologne shook her head. "There's only one way in, and out, I'm afraid."

"So, what do we do?"

"We fight, child."

V-------------------V

Ryoga woke to find his travelling companions in a state of disarray. Ranma's mother was clinging to her son as if her life depended on it, her quiet sobs echoing in the still cavern, while Shampoo glanced at the pig-tailed martial artist with a mixture of sadness and respect. Behind that, the lost boy could see a terrifying fear of…something; of what, exactly, he could not tell. He only knew it had shaken the amazon warrior, and shaken her badly. Shampoo was not easily scared - whatever she had seen, he hoped he himself would never have to.

Ranma looked up and shot him a wry smile. "Welcome back to the land of the living, Ryoga." The lost boy nodded and glanced around. They were still on the platform, the four pillars surrounding them. By now, the white glow around them had faded, and dipped them into darkness again, except for the light that filtered in from the torches that lined the walkway.

When Ryoga's gaze fixated on something behind him, Ranma craned his neck to glance over his shoulder; when he saw what had captured Ryoga's attention, he frowned and shifted, still cradling his mother's crying form but ready to spring into action if need be.

Shampoo's eyes widened as she saw the woman behind Ranma, and Lotion quickly prostrated herself, prompting her to do the same.

The woman that stood beside the altar had appeared out of thin air; her long black hair flowed to mid-back, framing a delicate face from which two light blue eyes stared back at them, emitting a sense of youth and strength that seemed almost unearthly, yet at the same time spoke of wisdom and knowledge far beyond anything mortal. Deep red lips parted in a smile, and a corona of white, comforting light surrounded her.

Shampoo looked up, the terror in her eyes gone, replaced by a soothing warmth as she felt the memory of the memory of the _Neko-Ken_ fade. Nodoka stopped crying and glanced up, seeing and feeling the forgiveness of her son, and the comfort and love he offered her.

"You have passed the trials put before you. I congratulate you, amazons of the Joketsuzoku. I am the one you call Amaterasu, the goddess of the sun. You are my daughters, the ones upon whom I bestowed my blessings millennia ago."

As she spoke, the torches flickered and went out. It wasn't until the floor of the cavern began to glow and the skies to part that the five of them realized that they had been outside all along. Behind them, the temple ruins stood, sunlight washing across the marble as it drove away the darkness, turning the dark and forsaken ruins into pristine stone once more. The platform they were standing on hung out over a small ravine, the four pillars extending far down to support it.

Around them, the darkness of the night receeded as the light of dawn washed over them. When it was done, they found themselves staring at a magnificient structure that showed no sign of its true age. With spires and pillars rising towards the heavens, decorated with swirling patterns and symbols of the gods, the area around them was, once more, home to the divine.

"What is happening?" Lotion asked, unsure whether she would receive an answer. To her surprise, she did.

"This is my temple. A thousand years ago, it was here I fought a great evil, a battle that lasted for seven days and nights and dipped the world into darkness. Your ancestors of the Joketsuzoku stood by my side, and for that, I gave them my protection, and my care. The battle left this temple in ruins, and only a miracle, a power beyond even my own, granted us victory."

She indicated an arrow on the altar, now visible in the bright sunlight. "As we drew our powers from the sun, we never tired, never relented. Then came the great darkness, and the sun no longer cast us in light, and as the light left us, so did our powers. This arrow comes from the blessed quiver of the warrior whose strike banished our foe. Beware, however, my daughter's fiendish mind and envy of what is mine." The woman seemed unconcerned at the statement, though Ranma could see it was affecting Shampoo and Lotion deeply.

After the events of several years prior, the amazons had been wary of anything divine or demonic; to have someone impersonate their matron goddess and fool them all, was something they all dreaded. The fact that it was a her daughter, was just adding insult to injury. In all, Ranma mused, it was one huge slap in the face to the amazons.

The pig-tailed martial artist's eyes narrowed as he caught something familiar about the woman before them, but it vanished too quickly for him to confirm as she spoke again

"You must hurry, for if the time has come, before she brings a battle upon us all." Before any of them could protest, she faded out of sight.

Ranma growled and snapped his fingers in recognition. "Was that her? Amaterasu?" Unfortunately, the goddess was gone.

"Ranma," Ryoga called out. "We've got to get going. We've got to get Ukyo out of there," the lost boy growled. It was then, that it hit Ranma that they had left her back in Joketsuzoku. Without a word, the pig-tailed young man hefted his backpack and headed for the other end of the platform.

V-------------------V

The door finally broke down under the repeated impacts of what Ukyo could only term as a battering ram. Even before the the dust had settled, she let fly with several of her spatulas, ducking behind the overturned heavy oaken table as she listened to the shouts of pain with satisfaction. Several projectiles struck the table, glancing off the surface of remaining stuck as those amazons carrying shuriken and throwing knives returned fire. Crouching next to her behind the table, Cologne tossed a handful of capsules over their makeshift cover. The result was not something Ukyo had expected, as the area around them exploded in smoke.

Exchanging a nod with the Elder, she hefted her combat spatula and they leapt from their hiding spot, Cologne leading the way as her gnarled staff whirled around her, striking her fellow amazons with pinpoint accuracy even through the smoke. They were almost at the door, and Ukyo felt her heart leap into her throat. Freedom was just a few steps away. Cologne was a mere blur, and in the thick smoke, the chef had to rely on her hearing and rudimentary ki training to navigate the area that was littered with debris from the broken door and unconscious amazon warriors.

_Home free,_ Ukyo thought as she cleared the doorway, stepping out into the bright afternoon sun, her spatula coming around to slam hard into a warrior who had managed to avoid Cologne's onslaught. The withered figure of the amazon matriarch stood only a couple of feet away, finishing up with the last of their opponents. A hiss cut through the air, and Ukyo barely had time to bring around her spatula to deflect the arrow that had been aimed at Cologne's back. The iron-tipped projectile glanced off the weapon harmlessly. It was, however, followed by another, and another, and another.

It was only due to the fact that her weapon of choice could cover such a large area with little movement that none of the arrows got past her. "This way, child!" Cologne joined her in deflecting the projectiles, even as the two of them retreated into the fields behind the matriarch's home.

Ukyo followed the rustle in front of her as she ran, returning her combat spatula to its holster on her back, letting out a sigh of relief as several arrows glanced off the huge blade covering her back. Before her, Cologne ducked into the shadow of a two-story house, and once Ukyo rounded the corner, she could see why. Behind the house was an array of barrels, almost man-high, arranged in a semi-circle. Cologne paused for a moment to glance over her shoulder before bouncing up the barrels, coming to rest on a roofed balcony on the second floor.

With some effort, the okonomiyaki chef leapt up the barrels, wishing that she had the same control over her ki that Ryoga and Ranma so effortlessly demonstrated with three-story jumps. Reaching the balcony, she swung herself over the low wall that prevented anyone from falling to their deaths accidentally, she crouched behind it, her gaze flickering to Cologne. The elder raised a finger to her mouth, gesturing her to be quiet, and disappeared into the house.

Moments later, Ukyo could hear a large group of warriors pass under her. The sounds faded into the distance quickly, and Ukyo let out a sigh of relief. That relief, however, was short-lived as the balcony next to her exploded violently, having fallen victim to a powerkful ki-blast. Ukyo dove into the house itself, not waiting for the rest of the structure to crumble underneath her, and rolled to her feet, weapon in hand.

Her eyes widened in shock as the walls around her began to crumble, breaking apart as a series of ki-blasts hit them, blasting the battered walls into pieces around her. The second story floor began to shake and collapse, and Ukyo let out a short, piercing scream as she fell.

She hit the ground on the floor below her, sharp pain blossoming in her shoulder as she felt it dislocate. Around her, the walls shuddered and fell. "Easy, child," Cologne noted as she deflected the falling debris away from Ukyo. Through the dust cloud around them, the girl saw a shimmer of light, and her eyes widened as she opened her mouth for a warning. It never left her throat as the ki-blast rammed into Cologne's unprotected back, blasting the amazon matriarch off her feet.

With some difficulty, Ukyo rose to her feet, stumbling over to Cologne's fallen form, wincing at the acrid stench of burning flesh. Even she had been able to feel the ki-blast when it came; and for her to be able to sense the ki in it, it would have to be extremely powerful. She crouched next to Cologne, examining her diminuitive body. It wasn't exactly necessary; the back of the matriarch's robe had been burned off, and beneath that was smoking and burned skin.

Cologne groaned, and Ukyo thanked the kami that she was still alive; anything that could do this kind of damage to Cologne – even unprepared – had to have been fired with lethal intent. Ukyo whirled around, standing above Cologne as she struggled to her feet, spatula out and in front of her, glaring in defiance at Brush and Perfume. The former grinned toothily as she let her aura dissipate, her lance aimed at Cologne.

"Looks like your time has finally run out, Khu Lon. You are in no condition to stop us from taking the outsider girl and fulfilling our mistress's wish for her blood."

Ukyo's eyes flickered from Brush to her great-granddaughter, her hands tightening around the hilt of her combat spatula. "Tell that old hag to come and get me herself, jackass," Ukyo muttered as Brush flicked out her lance towards Cologne. With a metallic shriek, Ukyo's spatual contacted the metal shaft, driving it into the ground; the okonomiyaki chef whirled her giant blade around herself, swinging at the amazon pair with a shout of rage.

Perfume's blade impacted her own, and the two began exchanging a rapid series of blows; a high diagonal slash was parried aside, and Ukyo somersaulted over her opponent, aiming to drive the flat side of her spatula into Perfume's back. The amazon spun, her blade flashing out as metal met metal and with a huge heave she forced Ukyo back. Holding the blade of her broadsword parallel to the ground and close to her Perfume lunged.

Ukyo sidestepped, bringing the flat side of her spatula to parry the strike. A feral grin spread over her face as she turned sideways, slamming the handle of her weapon into Perfume's chin. A backfist and snap-kick drove the amazon back further, allowing Ukyo to catch her with her spatula. The blow sent Perfume crumpling into the debris of the house her great-grandmother had wrecked moments before.

Grimacing as she clutched her shoulder, Ukyo glanced around for Brush, only to find the shaft of her lance broadsiding her.

V-------------------V

Incessant chanting all around her drowned out all other sounds, and with a start, Ukyo's eyes snapped open. "What the-" she attempted to sit up, only to find herself pulled back onto the stone cold altar by a set of chains. Craning her neck, she could see she was put up on display in the center of the village, with a good portion of the Joketsuzoku kneeling around her, chanting in Mandarin.

Abruptly, the voices stopped, and quiet fell over them as Brush stepped up into the chef's field of vision, carrying a vicious-looking ceremonial knife. The old woman smirked as she placed its blade against Ukyo's palm; blood started welling from the cut almost immediately as she drew the blade across the flesh. Ukyo frowned, trying to grasp for the dagger, only to have the blade slip away, slick with her blood. Droplets of the crimson liquid hit the ground, collecting in channels of carved marble.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Brush didn't react to the Japanese woman's question, instead, holding up the weapon and rinsing the blood with a pail of water, letting it drip to the ground and rain away towards a shallow tablet at the foot of the altar. Only after the weapon was clean did she turn and regard Ukyo with emotionless eyes. "Our goddess has demanded your life, outsider. And you are hers."

Ukyo was about to retort violently, when footsteps approached. From her limited vantage point, the chef could see the ranks of amazons parting for a lone woman, her steps impossibly graceful as she moved to stand next to her on the stone altar. Ukyo glanced up, into a beautiful but cold face, framed with long black hair and cruel grey eyes. An aura of power surrounded the woman clad in a dark grey breastplate, and an empty sheath hung by her side.

Brush had dropped to her knees as soon as she had become aware of her approach, and was presenting her the ceremonial knife. "Oh goddess of light, mother of the Joketsuzoku, accept this outsider's life and blood, as you have taken ours, and grant us your favor once more."

Ukyo's eyes widened. This was the woman claiming to be Amaterasu? The chef tugged at the chains holding her fast to the cold stone, only to have her struggles ended by a jab to the throat by the woman claiming to be the goddess of the sun. Taking the dagger from Brush, she eyed Ukyo. "You chose well, daughter of the Nichiezu. For the darkness that has befallen your sisters you have paid well the price of blood, and with this last sacrifice, I grant you the greatness you seek once more. I grant you to strength to retake the dominion you once held, and exile those that settled on the land that is rightfully yours."

"Are you stupid?" Ukyo wheezed as she glared at Brush. "You people got fooled once, did you forget what happened when you hopped onto the easy way four years ago?"

"Silence, outsider, I will not have you speak to our goddess this way! If she had not asked for your blood, I would have killed you on the spot!" the amazon weaponsmistress snarled, drawing the tip of her spear against the chef's cheek.

"You can't go around sacrificing people! Even if she was a goddess, there's no way they'd ask for something like that; how can you sacrifice your sisters, your children to a bogus chase for power? Remember what it cost you four years ago? Remember when you were almost wiped out because of your own arrogance?" Ukyo struggled to force air through her abused throat when she felt the sharp sting of the dagger's blade on her chest. Glancing up, the Japanese woman swallowed hard when she noticed that Amaterasu had her hand out, palm facing down, over Ukyo's heart, the dagger levitating in mid-air, its tip barely breaching the skin. A thin trickle of blood began flowing.

Brush snorted and turned away. "Four years ago, we were weak. Now, our goddess has returned, and we have rooted out those that made us weak. Now, only those that are worthy of our ancestry remain, and we will be strong once more. We will return to the way of life of our ancestors, and we shall hold the valley of Jusenkyo in our hands." The elder walked away, leaving Amaterasu alone with Ukyo on the altar.

The goddess slowly bent down, a small, cruel smile slowly spreading across her face. Ukyo's eyes narrowed. "You're not really Amaterasu, are you?"

The cruel smile widened. "It is enough if I am to them. But you can die with the knowledge that I am not my weak mother." The goddess's tongue flicked across the open wound, tasting her blood. "I must admit, they selected some very good sacrifices. Strong women, with very delicious blood."

"Jackass," Ukyo whispered even as the dagger pierced her heart and her body arched against its bonds. Neither of them heard the screaming that was rapidly approaching the village center.

Turning around, the goddess caught Brush's eye, and the elder nodded in acknowledgement, sprinting away to put a halt to whatever was causing the commotion.

V-------------------V

Ranma frowned as they entered the village. It was almost too quiet, as if everyone was in their homes, waiting for something to happen. The streets were deserted, and there wasn't a single presence anywhere near, if his senses could be trusted. A few minutes later, it became apparent why. One of the houses before them was in ruins, the ceiling and walls collapsed into a heap of rock and wood.

His heart sank when they came around on what had been the doorway, to find a sight he could have lived without. Ryoga turned Shampoo aside, the amazon warrior burying her face into his chest, trying to hide the tears that fell from her eyes. Lotion froze, turning around and retching into the rubble. Ranma could only stare at Cologne's burned body, impaled into the ground on a lance.

Nodoka placed a hand on his shoulder, unable to fathom the entirety of emotions running across her son's face, but understanding the two dominant ones…guilt, and rage. "Ukyo," the pigtailed young man suddenly hissed. "Where's Ukyo?"

Chanting rose from the center of the village, and his eyes fixed in the direction of the village square. "We've got to hurry." He reached into his sash, removing the sword from where it hung at his waist, and tossed it to his mother, who caught the sheathed blade expertly. He spared a glance to where Lotion was saying a prayer for the fallen, and reached down into the debris, withdrawing Cologne's staff. "Mom, stay with Lotion until she's done, then come after us. Ryoga, Shampoo, you're with me."

Shampoo nodded, pulling back from the lost boy, anger flashing in her eyes. "They'll pay," she hissed in Mandarin. Her hands reached into hidden weapons space, withdrawing twin matched swords.

As the three of them set off towards the center of the village, Nodoka watched as Lotion quietly prepared a symbolic burial for Cologne, and she couldn't help but curse the ones who had brought upon this disaster. Cologne had been a friend and teacher, to both her son and herself, and Nodoka felt, deep down, the same voice screaming for revenge. Her grip on the sakabato tightened until her knuckles were white from the strain, and she wondered why her son had handed her his sword when she had her own.

Lotion had finished and stood, the anger in her own eyes evident. She nodded in the general direction the other three had taken, and the two women set off to follow them.

It didn't take them long to catch up, and neither were they very hard to follow. The path the three martial artists had taken was littered with the broken, bleeding, and unconscious forms of amazon warriors. Nodoka shivered unintentionally, seeing for the first time injuries inflicted for pain's sake by her son. Her eyes travelled to the blade she loosely held in her grasp, and she understood. He knew. Knew that she felt the same, knew that she, too, wanted to avenge the death of a friend; but he also knew that she would regret killing recklessly after the haze of blood and death had settled down.

A loud explosion just up ahead shook her out of her thoughts as Ryoga's voice echoed through the air. "_Hinokuruma_!" A second explosion followed, this one a dark red, that shook the ground. Nodoka sprinted forward, reaching the melee in a matter of seconds. The sword flashed out of its scabbard, deflecting a trio of arrows as they headed for her, coming around into an overhead blow that produced an audible crack as it broke the collarbone of her target. Nodoka brought the blade up and about in a parry, letting a hatchet glance off. She slid in closer, and rammed the hilt of the sword into the amazon's chest, causing the taller woman to fly back.

To her side, Ryoga and Shampoo were working in concert as they ploughed through the ranks of amazon warriors, covering each other's blind spots as they decimated their opponents. Shampoo's face was a mask of hatred as she cut into her sisters, her blades already dripping with red blood. She, for once, seemed intent on truly killing her opponents.

Further to her side, closest towards the altar that Nodoka noted had been erected in the middle of the village square, was her son. He was throwing himself into the battle with a wild, wavering cry, and Nodoka soon lost sight of him as he submerged himself into the warriors before him.

V-------------------V

He was beyond angry. Usually, when he was angry, his skills suffered, but this, this was different. This was cold hatred, the kind of hatred he had only felt once before in his life, the hatred he had felt when he had been ready to kill, when he had **wanted** to kill. He was watching himself from a detached perspective, almost as if he weren't in his body. Cologne's cane whirled around him, deflecting attacks, striking pressure points and joints with unerring accuracy. He relished the screams of pain of his opponents. No, they weren't opponents anymore. They were victims. He grinned ferally as he laid into the women arrayed before him with a viciousness he hadn't thought he possessed.

Spinning the cane in front of him like a shield, he marched through a volley of arrows, his aura glowing an ominous red-gold around him as he relished the irony of striking down his enemies with the weapon of a fallen friend. There was nothing around him but the battle, and his senses took note of nothing else. The smell of blood grew stronger the closer he got to the altar, and he sped up, his running form almost blurring from sight as he dashed through the rows of amazons, leaving them unconscious in his wake.

Their ranks were thinning, he could see the marble stone shimmer between the bodies as he closed in with his destination. A kick smashed a sword-wielding amazon to the side, and a quick Amaguriken brought another to her knees, and then the way was clear.

He froze at the sight that presented itself to him, even as the woman claiming to be Amaterasu glanced up. Ranma swallowed hard as he reached out, trying to feel for any trace of his friend's ki, hoping she was still alive despite the bloodied dagger protruding from her chest. Ranma screamed, his aura exploding around him as a massive wave of ki rose into the sky, tinging it green with the feelings of despair and anger. The fake goddess grinned at him, and slid back, letting Perfume and Brush step forward. The remaining amazons around them stopped fighting and formed a circle around the altar, leaving them with space to fight.

Ranma hardly noticed when Ryoga, Shampoo, Lotion, and his mother stepped up to form a smaller circle around the elevated platform the altar rested on, weapons drawn, daring any ambitious warrior to come forward and try to kill Ranma while he was duelling the two. Ryoga and Shampoo both moved to step up, but one look from Ranma was enough to back them off. The pigtailed martial artist shook his head, and the two understood. This was personal. This was revenge. The determination in his eyes mollified Shampoo, and she understood that he would do whatever it took to avenge her great-grandmother. It was as good as a promise, and the young amazon knew he always kept them.

The pigtailed martial artist caught his breath as he let his aura dissipate, absorbing the spiritual energy back into his body as he turned eyes burning with hatred on the two amazons before him. "It takes a lot to make me angry," he ground out, "but you just crossed the line. Not once, but **twice**."

He closed his eyes, fighting to control the anger and hate surging up within him. It was something he had believed he had under control, but the desire to inflict the most horrific death he could think of on those responsible for Cologne and Ukyo's deaths was overpowering. He banished those thoughts as he called upon the Soul of Ice Cologne had taught him so long ago, shunting aside his emotions, leaving his eyes emotionless and cold as he stared at the two warriors.

"Come on," he hissed as he lunged at the pair. He ducked under a wide slash from Perfume's sword, using the moment to his advantage as he swept her off her feet. He didn't dwell on her for long as Brush speared the ground he had been crouching on a moment before. Ranma rolled to the side and back to his feet as the diminuitive woman approached, her lance held before her defensively.

A thrust of the lance was parried with Cologne's cane, and Brush found herself on the receiving end of an Amaguriken as Ranma slipped into her lance's range, pummeling the ancient woman with punches. Brush was saved from the onslaught when her granddaughter recovered and struck at the pigtailed martial artist's back, forcing him to stop his attack.

He turned around, flipping out of the way of the strike, and fired off a series of ki-blasts in mid-air. Brush and Perfume scattered as dust and debris rose into the air, and the two glanced at each other, both extending their ki to compensate for their limited vision. A slight distortion in the air around them alerted Brush to Ranma's presence, and she spun to the side, infusing her lance with her ki to allow it to deflect the vacuum blades that were aimed at her. Perfume, on the other hand, was less experienced and failed to notice the incoming projectiles until it was almost too late.

The younger amazon cried out in pain as the ki-powered vacuum blades shattered against the sword she had raised in a desperate attempt to defend herself, glancing off and cutting deeply into her flesh. Brush narrowed her eyes at the male that had so easily disposed of her granddaughter, and smirked without humor as her form shimmered, then doubled. The duplication continued until the smoke lifted, and Ranma was surrounded by images of Brush, each holding a lance.

"Cologne taught me this trick ages ago," Ranma grinned as he raised his aura, increasing its intensity to the point that it was physically tangible, and with a roar, he pushed the sphere outwards. As the red-gold aura washed across Brush's splitting cat's hairs technique, and the mirror images dissipated until only the real one remained. Ranma retracted his aura until it was a faint golden glow outlining his body, and he brought Cologne's cane up before him.

Brush nodded as her own aura came to life, a dark purple, and on an unspoken agreement, the fight was taken to the next level. The two forms blurred and disappeared from sight as they exchanged blows too fast for the naked eye to see.

Ranma turned out of the way of a thrust, letting the lance's tip pass him by inches as he continued to spin, lashing out with a back kick against his opponent. Brush caught the kick on the lower third of the shaft, spinning it around, letting the flexible wood whip out at the pigtailed martial artist.

He spun in mid-air, twisting around the bladed end of the lance, grabbing hold of the shaft as he vaulted himself over Brush's tiny form, reaching for her unprotected back with Cologne's staff. The amazon elder rolled out of the way, and the sharp end of the staff exploded the ground as Ranma hit it with the _Bakusai Tenketsu_. Easily deflecting the rocks and broken marble away, Brush spun her lance, slashing it into the center of the blast site, hoping to catch the pigtailed boy off-guard.

Cane met lance with a crack of wood on wood, and Ranma's eyes narrowed ferally as he grinned at her. "Remember last time, Brush?" The elder barely had time to let go and leap back as four shimmering-gold ki claws sliced through the shaft of her lance. Brush smirked.

"You underestimate me, boy. I've learned a trick or two, myself." Her lance glowed with the purple of her ki for an instant, before it came back together seamlessly. Ranma nodded appreciatively. Brush's lance whipped towards him, forcing him back a step, then another, until his back bumped against the cold marble of the altar.

The elder amazon raised her weapon high to deliver a crushing blow when, much to her astonishment, Ranma faded from sight, only to reappear behind her with a cry of "_Haku Dato Shin Shö_!" Brush hung suspended in mid-air as a rapid series of strikes penetrated her guard. With a final, loud kiai, Ranma kicked her near-unconscious form away. Brush tumbled to a halt, leaning heavily on her lance as she coughed up blood. He eyed her dispassionately, his rage only mildly dissipated with the use of the lethal technique. _They killed Cologne and Ucchan. They deserve much, much worse,_ he thought as he stared at his opponent's battered form.

"_Izuna_!" The shaky voice from behind him alerted him long before the discharge of ki did. He flipped over the vacuum blade, coming down in an axe-kick that crushed the ground where he landed. Perfume backed away, her sword moving in front of her in a defensive pattern as Ranma pressed his attack, barraging her with a long series of punches and kicks. She blocked one particular thrust kick with the flat side of her blade, realizing her mistake instantly as one kick quickly became a hundred, pounding the forged metal at near-Amaguriken speeds.

"You killed Ucchan," he ground out as he continued throwing kicks at her blade, "you killed Cologne, and for **what**?" His eyes and aura flared an intense red and tears began to leak from his eyes as his soul of ice began to crack. "You and your stupid little need to play god!"

Breaking the rhythm, she whirled her blade around, attempting to bring it down on his leg, forcing Ranma to abandon his attack. The two broke apart, eyeing each other carefully. With a wordless cry, Perfume launched herself at the pigtailed young man, rage over her earlier defeat at his hands burning in her eyes.

Almost as if moving on its own accord, her blade began weaving an intricate pattern of attacks, slashing and thrusting at him; Perfume grunted in frustration as her opponent managed to avoid any major injuries at her hands, coming away with only a few minor cuts. However, much to both of their surprises, when they separated, Ranma frowned, before collapsing to his knees, shuddering with pain as wounds all over his arms and torso opened.

Perfume eyed her sword in wonder as it channeled her intent and ki, causing minor wounds to tear open into deep, bleeding gashes. She grinned at her opponent, rushing in to finish him before he could recover. Her eyes opened wide as pain blossomed in her chest, and her gaze wandered down to see the top of a staff protruding from her chest.

Still kneeling, clutching his wounds, Ranma grimaced as he watched Perfume open her mouth to speak, only to have blood gush out. He looked down at the hand that had reflexively scooped up Cologne's cane and thrown it with deadly accuracy, fighting the urge to feel sick. His rage suddenly disappeared, only to be replaced by the urge to retch, and disgust at himself for loosing control yet again, the haunting words from the temple echoing in his ears. He stood shakily, knowing that some of the cuts on his arms and chest were deep enough to be life-threatening. He turned to Brush, who was regaining her feet, and smiled grimly.

"Give up, Brush. Your heir is gone. The only thing you'll be furthering is your own demise."

The amazon elder stared at the lifeless body of her granddaughter for a moment, before turning her gaze to meet his. Icy blue met a sickly green, and both saw in the other what they themselves felt, and for a moment, despite their differences, they understood each other perfectly. The grief over a loved one and the need for revenge burned strong in each of them. Without a word, Brush threw herself at the pigtailed martial artist, her lance blurring as she stabbed at him.

Ranma turned sideways, letting the tip of the lance graze his arm as he stepped into her attack, twisting one arm around the shaft of her weapon,yanking it from her hands. The lance clattered to the ground, leaving the two combatants standing across from each other.

Brush raised her head defiantly as two daggers slid into her hands from subspace, and with a snarl, she let them fly.

Gathering his ki in his hands, Ranma drew up his rage at his friends' needless deaths, at the stupidity of the ancient women who governed the Joketsuzoku, at the unfairness of it all, and the swirling sphere of ki between his hands darkened from a bright gold to a dark reddish-black. He forced it together, compressing it, until it shrank to the size of a pinprick before he released his hold on it, draining his massive stores of ki in a single blast.

The beam that flew from his cupped hands was narrow enough to pass through the two daggers aimed at him, but the shockwave it caused knocked them off course, even as the beam slammed into Brush, driving her across the ground until her smoking and burned body came to a halt a few feet from the ranks of the amazon warriors around them. "_Adauchi_," he whispered.

He slowly walked over to the broken body of the former elder and raised his hand to deliver the finishing blow, but stopped short. His conscience warred only for a moment with his desire to inflict pain on the amazon women, and for a moment he thought he heard Kasumi's accusing voice. _It's just a matter of time until you loose control yet again and kill someone again. I will never tolerate a killer in my home. You claim you are a martial artist, yet you don't have the discipline to control your own actions. You killed someone because you lost control of your actions in anger._

He sighed, wiping at his tears angrily, and stood, slowly walking away from Brush and heading towards the altar. _I won't kill her. I can't. They killed Ucchan and Cologne, but I still can't do it. I'm sorry, Ukyo, Cologne._

Dead silence permeated the makeshift arena for a minute, as the gathered amazon warriors stared at the still bodies of the two people that had led them into their frenzy.

Soft clapping could be heard from the side, and Ranma turned towards the woman claiming to be Amaterasu. "You," he hissed, his anger returning. "You're the one behind all this, aren't you…Amatsu Mikaboshi?"

The woman's form shimmered for a moment, before she grew leaner, her hair turning a dark red. Her eyes turned from the color of the sky to the color of blood, and her robes melted away, leaving her clad in red and white battle armor. "Well observed, mortal. Unfortunately, you're too late." Lightning crackled up and down the fallen goddess's form as it formed a pulsing, electric blue cage around her. The lightning's intensity increased, until the cage was glowing a dark blue. It burst into fragments of light, leaving her standing next to the altar, eyes glowing with power.


	6. Chapter 6: To Challenge the Sun

Chapter Six: To Challenge the Sun

Urd did a double-take when a warning appeared on her screen. She signalled an aide. "Go over to the Japanese pantheon and get me Amaterasu, now!" The urgency in the usually laid-back goddess's voice spurred the aide on, and moments later, Amaterasu, Japanese goddess of the sun, walked through the large double doors of the Yggdrasil control center.

"What is it, Urd?" the Japanese goddess frowned at being summoned without so much as a reason.

The eldest Norn turned her screen over to her Japanese colleague, letting her see the data streaming across it. Amaterasu shrugged. "Is that supposed to mean anything to me?"

Urd frowned. "Two words. Amatsu Mikaboshi."

"How…?" The Japanese goddess paled at the mention of her son's name. "I sealed her away myself!"

"Take a look again." Urd indicated at the screen. "If I'm reading this right, then she's not only awake, but back to full power."

"Her status?"

Urd frowned, her fingers flying across the virtual keys. "She's still designated a fallen goddess. We never bothered to actually strip her of her powers, since you had her under seal."

"Where is she?"

"Midgard, China, Quing Hai Province, Bayakala mountain range, Jusenkyo valley…Joketsuzoku," Urd read off, her eyes narrowing as the information scrolled past her eyes on the screen.

Amaterasu was on her feet and pulling on Urd's arm before the silver-haired goddess had a chance to add anything. "We've got to hurry. I'm not letting her try to usurp me again." The sun goddess's eyes flashed angrily. "This time, I'll finish her off."

"She's your daughter, Amatera-chan," Urd noted as she struggled with Amaterasu's iron grip as the eldest Norn was dragged through the halls of Yggdrasil. "You can't just kill your own daughter, especially not with the doublet system in effect!"

"That is no child of mine!" Amaterasu stopped abruptly, whirling around to face Urd. "I will not let her threaten me. Our last fight almost destroyed Midgard, and I barely managed to defeat her – I won't risk having her on the loose so she can try and take my place again!"

Urd's eyes narrowed further as she glared at the Japanese goddess. "I don't believe it! We're talking about your goddamn **daughter** here!" She yanked her arm free of Amaterasu's grip, unable to fathom how she could talk about killing her own child as if she were conversing over dinner.

"She forfeited her life the moment she turned on me." The sun goddess's reply was stoic, cold, and delivered in a tone that chilled Urd to the bone. The confrontation between the two had drawn a small crowd, but the onlookers were slowly backing up, not wanting to be caught in the escalating conflict of two of the oldest and most powerful goddesses.

Something clicked together in Urd's mind after hearing Amaterasu's last few words. "This isn't about her being a threat to Midgard, is it? This isn't about her endangering Yggdrasil, or anything…it's about **you**." Urd growled. "You're afraid that she'll come and try to take your place at the pantheon. Last time you barely got away, and now you're afraid you **won't**, aren't you?"

Not giving Amaterasu a chance to reply, Urd growled, jabbing her index finger at the sun goddess's chest. "What's the matter? Did I hit a nerve? I'm not going to let you kill her just because you think she's going to be a threat to you. And that's all she is, isn't she? Last time, the only one she went after was **you**, because she thought you weren't doing the right thing."

"I **was**! It's my pantheon, it's my country, and I can do whatever I wish with it! **My word is law**!" Amaterasu roared, energy beginning to crackle around her. "She is just a little insect who thinks she's my better, and I'll show her her place!"

"**Your** pantheon?" Urd sneered, no longer bothering to conceal the hostility in her tone. "It's not your pantheon, Amatera-chan." This time, the nickname lost all semblance of affection. "It's the pantheon of the people. Without the mortals on Midgard, we are nothing."

The Japanese goddess lifted a hand, collecting a sphere of magic that radiated light like a small sun. "You're wrong. Those mortals are nothing without us. We can do what we wish with them, and all they can do is live or die by their choices." A malicious grin spread across her features, "I don't care if their choice damns them to eternal suffering."

"That much is obvious," Urd muttered under her breath. "I'm not letting you down there so you can kill your own daughter! We don't even know what she's going to do, and I sure as hell won't let you kill someone else through the doublet system." The silver-haired goddess crossed her arms before her chest, jaw set in determination. "You want to go down there, you'll have to go through me."

Silence fell over the two, even as a number of Valkyries arrived, called by Peorth to head off a confrontation. Finally, Amaterasu clenched her fist, dissipating the glowing orb of magic, and brushed past Urd. The Norn's hand on her shoulder spun her around as Urd spoke, her voice low enough only she could hear it.

"What you're doing is wrong, Amatera-chan. Don't do it."

Amaterasu shrugged the hand off her shoulder, never looking back as she walked out of the hall, leaving Urd to stare at her retreating back. The eldest Norn's jaw was clenched so tightly that Peorth thought her bones would snap under the pressure. The goddess of roses and de facto head of the Earth Help Center carefully placed a comforting hand on her friend and rival's arm.

When Urd turned to face her, Peorth shuddered involuntarily at the icy look in her eyes. There was a fire of passion burning that she hadn't seen in Urd in years. The Norn easily shook off her hand and removed her limiter earring with a spell, dropping it into Peorth's palm. Without another word, Urd clapped her hands together in a quick chant, teleporting straight through the barrier that separated the divine from the mortal plane.

Peorth and those around her were left to stare at the spot Urd had just vacated, shuddering at the raw power that had been released.

V--------------------V

Ranma fell into a defensive stance as the amazons around them froze in shock at the revelation. Amatsu smirked as she raised a hand, palm up. Energy began to coalesce in it, forming a bright golden orb. The air around the fallen goddess shimmered from the heat, and soon all those around had to shield their eyes from the bright light.

Amatsu looked introspective for a second as she gathered her power, then threw back her head as her eyes blazed with anger. "**Mother**!" Her scream seemed impossibly loud, reaching up towards the heavens as she twisted the title into a disgusted swear.

As if summoned by her call, a pillar of light arched down from the sky, expanding as it hit the ground. The light remained for a few seconds before fading, revealing a middle-aged woman.

A woman wearing her long, flowing black hair in a swordsman's ponytail, clad in an off-white version of the armor of the ancient samurai. A katana hung from the belt at her waist, and her piercing blue eyes fixated themselves on the fallen goddess.

"It has been a while, mother," Amatsu snarled at the woman that was unmistakably Amaterasu.

The Japanese goddess of the sun glared at her, her voice equally hostile. "It would have been better had you not returned, fallen one." Her hand rested on the hilt of her sword. "It would have spared your life."

"What life?" Amatsu's hollow laugh echoed around the village center. "Imprisoned by my own mother, floating in the abyss, watching as the gods grow decadent! And now, you would slay me? Sacrifice another's life in Nifleheim for your 'cause?'"

"I will slay you if I must. You are a threat to all of us. And you lost the right to call yourself my daughter the moment you chose to strike at me!"

Ranma had slowly backed up as the two began arguing, and the pigtailed martial artist and his group watched the verbal ping-pong match before them in morbid fascination. They were unsure of what exactly to do…none of them wanted to interfere in a fight between two goddesses, much less be caught in a fight with someone as powerful as the goddess of the sun. Still, Ranma wondered, he couldn't exactly let this drama before him unfold itself. After all, Amatsu had killed Ukyo, and had been the indirect cause of Cologne's death. Obviously, helping Amaterasu defeat her was the right choice…right?

Still, the sun goddess's tone as she spoke of killing her own daughter chilled him to the bone, and he could almost feel his mother gasp as Nodoka tried to stem the flow of emotions. He had long ago forgiven her for it, but she had not forgotten her foolishness with the seppukku contract.

His mind made up, he stepped forward, ignoring Shampoo's shocked cry, and raised his own battle-aura. The ki flowed around him, slowly stopping the blood from the cuts and bruises he had received earlier, and he marched forward, stopping between mother and daughter. He glared at the fallen goddess as his aura flickered around him angrily, changing from a rich golden color to an angry red.

"I'm not through with you yet," he hissed. "You killed Ucchan. For that, I'll have your head!" With a roar, the pigtailed martial artist lunged at Amatsu as his rage returned full force. The anger at seeing his childhood friend's body prone on the altar next to them, discarded like a broken toy, fuelled his attack as he struck out, his fist impacting with the fallen goddess's chin with enough force to spin her around.

Amatsu stood easily, holding up a hand to forestall any further attacks. Ranma paused, settling back into a ready stance as Amatsu shook her head, her eyes never leaving Amaterasu's.

"Leave, mortal. My mother tends to get a little…destructive when we fight." She smirked without humor as she held out a hand, summoning Perfume's discarded broadsword to her palm. The runes on the blade glowed their usual blood red for a brief instant before turning golden. The metal of the blade melted away, the runes sinking in and disappearing as the steel vaporized from the intense heat. When it was gone, she was left holding the hilt of a sword, its blade replaced by a glowing bar of light.

Behind Ranma, Amaterasu smirked as she crossed her arms before her chest. Amatsu arched an eyebrow at her. "What's the matter, mother? Afraid?" She grinned as she mocked her.

Ranma's eyes narrowed at the fallen goddess's arrogance, and with a savage yell, the pigtailed young man launched a ki-blast that glowed with the red of his anger at her. Amatsu looked up in surprise as it impacted with her chest, driving her back. Her penetrating gaze turned to Ranma.

"Leave it be, mortal. This does not concern you."

"It's damn well my concern if you kill my friends," Ranma spat as he braced his feet, firing three more blasts at his opponent. His eyes widened in surprise when the fallen goddess deflected them with her blade, and a part of his mind took note that all of his attacks were redirected into the sky, where they dissipated harmlessly.

Ranma blinked in surprise when his opponent staggered forward. Amatsu cradled her head, whipping around and to the side to avoid the follow-up strike, and brought her sword up, slicing through Ryoga's umbrella easily. The lost boy leapt back, tossing what remained of the shaft at the fallen goddess, causing her to bring up her blade to deflect the debris.

Shampoo took advantage of the opening as she leapt through the air, her twin swords flashing in a complicated pattern, high and low, as she sought to penetrate Amatsu's defenses. With an expressionless face, Amatsu flicked his blade towards her, only to stumble forward as Ryoga tackled her legs.

"This is for my great-grandmother," Shampoo snarled as she jammed one of her swords to the hilt into the falling woman's torso. The two leapt back, eyes never leaving their opponent. The fallen goddess rose, her free hand taking hold of the hilt of the sword in her chest and pulled it out without effort. It clattered to the ground, much to Shampoo and Ryoga's wide-eyed surprise.

Ranma's eyes narrowed, taking a golden tint as he jumped towards the fallen goddess's unprotected back, his hands flashing out as the ki claws of the Neko-Ken formed. The attack cut deeply into Amatsu's shoulder and back, and to the pigtailed boy's satisfaction, the ki-inflicted wounds lasted longer before healing themselves.

Amatsu turned to face him, and behind the fallen goddess, Ranma could see Nodoka holding back both Ryoga and Shampoo who wanted to jump her at the perceived arrogance. Ranma hissed, crouching low and solidifying the ki claws on his hands.

"My quarrel is with my mother," she told the pigtailed martial artist slowly, as if lecturing a child. "She has been abusing her position as the patron goddess of Japan, and what has happened over the last milennia? The gods have grown decadent, arrogant in their power, uncaring of mortal fates." She glared over Ranma's shoulder, at Amaterasu. "Don't you see? They should be there to help mortals grow, we should be aiding and creating, not sitting on our hands watching as everything goes its way. The gods no longer care if mortals live or die, all they care about is keeping their power!"

Amatsu smirked at her mother. "Isn't that true, 'mother?' The only reason you're here at all is to stop me from taking your position as the head of the Japanese pantheon, isn't it?"

Amaterasu's reply was a dark smile and a quick word in the language of the gods.

Ranma felt rather than heard the blast of energy screaming in from behind him, and his eyes widened. His leg muscles propelled him into the air, but even the split second it had taken him to react had been too long. He twisted in mid-air, facing the incoming attack and summoned his ki, hoping to somehow survive the blast. It washed over him in a blinding white light as the power of the sun seared across the ground, scorching the earth and melting it to slag.

Ranma uncrossed his arms, surprised to find himself still in one piece, and blinked as his eyes recovered from the blinding light. Standing before him and the crowd of amazons behind him was Urd, her long silver hair fluttering in a non-existent breeze as her magic surrounded her. The shield she had used to cover them from Amaterasu's blast dissipated as quickly as it had appeared, and the eldest Norn glanced over her shoulder. "You all right, Ranma?"

The pigtailed martial artist nodded, glaring at Amaterasu, who was looking more disappointed than regretful.

"This is going too far, Amaterasu. I don't care if you're going on a power-trip, or just want to blow something up, but you're not going around killing innocent people," Urd hissed.

Ranma swore he could hear Shampoo whisper behind him. "Maybe it that time of the month for her?"

He quickly tuned his friend out and turned to face the fallen goddess behind him. "You talk about helping us and preserving life…you know what? Spare me the bullcrap sermon. You're not going around saving lives. You killed Ucchan, and because of you, they killed Cologne, and who knows how many others!" Ranma's eyes flared with anger. "You're just trying to rationalize your own greed, like your mother is. You know what?" Ranma spat at her. "Nothing sickens me like a hypocrite."

Amatsu's red eyes lit up in anger, her lips twisting in a demented smirk. "Yet, you cannot possibly tell me my mother has been good to you mortals? I bring back change, chaos, rebirth; things that have been lost to both gods and mortals for eons, because we've become too complacent. What has my mother done since my imprisonment? Tell me, mother. Tell **them** what you have been doing. Did you answer the prayers of the mothers of dying children? Did you do your duty as the goddess of the sun, your duty to bring life to Midgard? Answer me!"

"I answer to no one!" Amaterasu roared, her aura exploding around her. "I have no duty to the mortals, but they to me! They are mine to do with as I will! If I want them to die, they have no choice but to obey and die. It is only by my will that they live. It is my pantheon, my country! Their lives, however worthless, are **mine**!"

Ranma's gaze fixated on the angry sun goddess, the anger in his own blue eyes bleeding into his aura as it turned from its usual gold to a deep reddish-black. He opened his mouth to respond, but Urd beat him to it.

"You're wrong, Amaterasu. You're wrong. You're not all-powerful, you know. Not even Father is. Not even Father can fix the destiny of mortals, not even he can decide when it is time for someone to die." Urd's voice dropped to a harsh whisper. "Not even Father can break their spirit."

The sungoddess laughed coldly. "You must be joking. All that time you spend on Midgard must have dulled your wits, Urd." Her cold smile turned unpleasant. "What would you expect from a failed goddess whose weakling sister falls in love with a mortal? If I wanted to, I could take your sister's happiness right here and now, and nothing these mortals around us could do would stop me. Your sister is weak, and so are you. We can crush Midgard with a mere thought. These insects are nothing to us."

Urd snarled, but a hand on her shoulder turned her around, her green eyes fixing on blue-grey ones. "First things first, Urd. We have to make sure she," Ranma jabbed a thumb over his shoulder at Amatsu, "doesn't get away first. Then we can deal with the rest." The pigtailed martial artist glared at Amaterasu, and stepped aside, pulling Urd with him.

The Japanese sungoddess took the opening, and a burst of raw sunlight streaked across the ground, only to slam into a defensive barrier as her wayward daughter spun her own blade around herself.

Ranma pulled Urd back towards Shampoo, Ryoga, and Nodoka, always keeping an eye on the lightshow before them. The amazons around them had long since backed off, staring in horror at the display before them even as they tended to their wounded. Once Ranma reached his mother, he swayed and collapsed to his knees. Nodoka's eyes opened wide in fright, and she knelt next to her son, tearing strips off her kimono to bind the numerous cuts.

"We've got to be careful," Urd advised as she charged a shield spell around their small group, while Ryoga and Shampoo eyed both the combatants and the amazons around them warily. "Last time they fought, they sank Atlantis."

"An entire continent?" Ryoga nearly choked on the goddess's statement.

"One way or another, we have to find a way to end this quickly, before they start bringing out the big guns." Ranma stood, bracing himself against his mother.

Urd narrowed her eyes as she cast a quick healing spell on him. "This isn't like anything you've faced before, Ranma. Those two aren't Saffron, or Herb, or even Firkraag. Amaterasu is a goddess first class, unlimited, and so is her daughter. Add to that, they both draw their power from the sun, which means Amaterasu packs almost as much raw power as the Allmighty himself." The platinum-haired goddess put up a hand to silence Ranma's protest, and continued. "Saffron is strong, but he's only a Phoenix, a fire elemental demi-god. Firkraag **was** a demon first class, but when you fought him, Yggdrasil was down, and so were his regenerative abilities **and** his potential for channelling power. If he hadn't been trying to crash Yggdrasil and reset reality, he would've done himself a big disservice by bringing down the system."

"What?" Ranma and Ryoga spun to face her.

"Don't be surprised. Every immortal has a certain level of regenerative abilities coded into their being by Yggdrasil. If the system hadn't been down, Setsuna's attack would've done little more than scratch Lenneth, and you would never have been able to overload Firkraag with raw energy."

"That means…"

"As a goddess first class, unlimited, well…you saw what happened when Shampoo stabbed her." Urd pointedly glanced at the discarded sword.

Ranma clenched his fists as the battle of wills before them intensified, the light from both the beams and the shields almost unbearably bright. "There has to be a way. We've got to do something before they start blowing up half of China."

"There's nothing we can do, kiddo. I'm not even close to their power levels, and as strong as you are, neither are you. If either of us get involved in there, it's going to be a quick, painful death."

Ryoga snorted. "If we don't do anything, we're all gonna die, anyway. How did Amaterasu get her last time?"

Urd frowned as she struggled to remember. "I'm not really sure. Something blocked their powers, and then she hit Amatsu with a sealing program embedded in an arrow."

"This one?" Nodoka helpfully offered said weapon, and the goddess of the past stared in surprise as she recognized the seal on the arrowtip.

"Yeah. Where did you get it?"

"Her temple." Ranma snarled as he watched the two goddesses trade energy blasts. "I think she also left a message behind. What did it say again? Something about it being dark?"

"Since they draw their power from the sun, it makes sense," Urd mused, "but what can block out all of the sunlight? It's got to be something special, or she'd loose her powers at night."

"Can't you just look it up in that computer of yours?" Ryoga offered out of the blue. The lost boy shrugged as everyone stared at him. "What?"

"It's classified information. Only Kami-sama has access to that." Ryoga's face fell.

Ranma growled. "What do you mean? You're a goddess! Just go up there and pull some piece of rock in front of the damn sun or something!"

The silver-haired goddess glared at him in return. "Do you know how hard it is to affect celestial bodies? Only Kami-sama can do that, and it's not like I can just go up there and ask him to move a moon for me!"

"Why not? It's not like the fate of the world depends on it, you know," Ryoga added sarcastically.

"It's not that," Urd told him, her tone softening, almost apologetic. "But Amatsu is right, in a way. The gods have become more distant from the events on Midgard with every passing moment. Times have changed, we are no longer actively involved in what occurs here, and some don't want to be. They don't care anymore, kiddo."

"What do you mean, they don't care?" Nodoka bristled.

Urd sighed. "The gods…well, most of us don't think mortals are really worth it. Only a few, who've really lived here, seen the things you can do, seen the miracles you can perform, know what you're truly capable of. Most just think they're so far above you that whatever happens down here isn't their concern. I'm afraid to say even Amatera-chan only really cares about her station anymore." The goddess shrugged in resignation. "They spend more time squabbling amongst themselves than they do anything else."

"How come?" Shampoo wondered. She was seeing her tribe's matron goddess first hand, something that only a few years ago she would have felt honored to see. Something she would have killed to see, but those times were long over, and her admiration for the goddess of the sun was fading with every passing moment.

"Way back when," Urd chuckled slightly at the fairytale-ish beginning, "the gods would walk the Earth. They would have their favorite people, and watch over them, making sure they fulfilled their destiny. Some would just come down and live here, just to be around them. We used to celebrate with them, live with them, love and marry them. We'd fight along them, and they along us. Back then, there were demi-gods, born from the union of a god and mortal, who would be so strong they earned their ascension into our ranks. There would be people who were just so strong, without any divine blood, that they could rival our strength on the battlefield. They would hurt us, and we would retreat to heal, just like the other mortals. But they were there, and they could challenge us, if they so wished."

The silver-haired goddess smiled softly in remembrance. "That time is long since gone. The time of warriors has passed, and as much as culture and technology progressed, humans lost that strength, lost the will to fight for what they now perceive to be theirs by right." She shrugged. "Face it, kiddo. Most humans couldn't even last a millisecond against a god these days."

"So," Ranma concluded, "we need a miracle, and we can't get one?"

"'Fraid so, kiddo."

Urd was about to continue when the light all around them dimmed. Staring up into the sky in wonderment, they watched as a large shadow crossed the sun, moving into its path high up at zenith, until all that was left was a brilliant corona of light shining around the moon.

"What the-" Urd's gaze fixated on the two fighting goddesses before them even as their magic dissipated harmlessly into the air. "Someone up there heard your prayers, kiddo. Hurry and take the shot!"

Wordlessly, Nodoka handed the arrow over to Shampoo, and the amazon expertly notched the arrow and took aim. "Die," she whispered as let go of her bow's string, and the arrow whistled through the air.

Alarmed by the sudden loss of their powers, mother and daughter had leapt apart, their swords held at the ready. Amatsu turned at the sound of the arrow's release, narrowly dodging to the side. The arrow's tip grazed her ribs instead of piercing her heart, and she spun around, her blade held before her defensively.

Ranma charged at the fallen goddess with a roar that shook the ground, Ryoga and Shampoo only a step behind him. The pigtailed martial artist twisted around Amatsu's slash, delivering a devastating spin-kick to her back as he passed. Ryoga followed with a shoulder charge that took her by surprise and slammed into the fallen goddess with the force of a freight train. Amatsu tumbled back, rolling on the ground to recover her footing when Shampoo struck, the twin bonbori she had retrieved from hidden weapons space lashing out at her.

The ground exploded into shrapnel from the force of the amazon's attack, but Amatsu had already rolled to the side and to her feet. She didn't have much time to recover her breath, however, when the ground in front of her exploded, and Shampoo vaulted over the crouching Ryoga as the lost boy recovered from the _Bakusai Tenketsu_.

With a savage yell, Shampoo threw herself at the fallen goddess, using Ryoga's back as a springboard to propel her forward in a high somersault that carried her just over their opponent's head. Using the opportunity to strike, Shampoo hammered down her bonbori, only to have Amatsu bring her blade about to deflect the attack. Landing in a crouch, Shampoo was about to charge again when the fallen goddess was driven back by a massive, red-tinted ki blast.

Ranma dashed into her defenses, opening up her guard with a cry of "_Moko Kaimon Ha_!" The kick hit its mark, driving Amatsu back further. The pigtailed martial artist pressed his assault, rushing forward while she was off-balance.

A sickening crack echoed around the village square, along with Ranma's whispered voice. "_Moko Kaimon Ha_, revised: _Seikyo no Toguchi_."

He released the arms of the fallen goddess, having wrapped his own around them as he tore them out of their sockets, and removed his knee from where it was embedded in her throat as he pulled her forward into his attack.

The sword she had been holding clattered to the ground noisily, and the silence was broken. Urd rushed forward to begin a sealing spell, leaving Ryoga and Shampoo to help a tired Ranma away from the makeshift arena. The two shuddered at the look in the pigtailed boy's eyes; it was haunted, as if he had come close to insanity and just barely managed to hold on.

"No! Wait!" Urd's startled shout drew their attention back towards the goddesses, and they watched in horror as Amaterasu drove her katana through her daughter's prone body. The daughter of the sun disintegrated in a flash of light as her soul was returned to be reborn and her powers returned to the sun.

"What the hell do you think you're doing, Amaterasu?" Urd shouted into the elder goddess's face. The Japanese goddess merely smirked.

"Why, Urd, I simply took care of a problem. She will never bother us again, and Midgard is safe once more." The mockery in her tone was unmistakable.

Ranma gritted his teeth and swallowed a nasty reply. This was, after all, the outcome they had sought. The fallen goddess was gone, Cologne and Ukyo's deaths avenged, and the world was safe once more. He snorted. _Yeah, right. But it's not gonna bring back Ucchan and granny._ An idea floated into his mind. _That's so crazy it might actually work._ He glanced at Amaterasu. _That is, if she actually cares. If she doesn't, I'll make her care._

The pigtailed boy stepped forward, pushing past Urd as he moved to stand in front of the goddess of the sun.

"What do you want?" Her tone wasn't exactly friendly, either.

"Bring them back." Ranma hissed. "Cologne, Ucchan, Perfume, everyone who died. Bring them back."

Amaterasu merely smirked condescendingly. "And what makes you think I have that power, mortal?"

"Cut the crap, will ya?" Ranma glared at her angrily. "You're Amaterasu, you're the goddess of life. So give life! Give it back to them! It's because of you they're dead in the first place!"

"Even if I had the power to do so, don't you think that there's a little problem?" She pointed up, where the moon was slowly moving out of the way of the sun. "My powers are still sealed."

"Then we wait for you to get them back, but you're gonna bring them back!"

A cold smile slowly spread across her face. "And what makes you think I care, mortal? I need not heed your commands. I need not obey you, but you **me**." She gestured as the shadows lifted with her words, and the sword Nodoka had been carrying floated up, settling in Ranma's startled hands.

"That is, after all, a sword offered to me. I have given it my blessing, and in return, its wielder obeys my command."

The pigtailed boy clutched the blade in a death grip. "I don't care. Bring them back." Tears of anger and frustration began leaking from his eyes as he tried to stare her down.

"I have no duty to you, mortal." She turned around, walking away. A primal cry of outrage from behind her turned her around, to stare straight into the incoming blade of the sword she had just put in the pigtailed martial artist's hands.

The blade passed through her torso harmlessly, and she extended a hand, blasting sword and wielder back a dozen feet.

Ranma rolled to his feet, swaying slightly as pain shot through his chest where the blast had left the flesh scorched. He glared at her angrily, his aura flickering to life around him. Amaterasu merely smirked.

"Impressive, isn't it? That blast should have killed you, yet that sword you are carrying is imbued with a part of my power. Power that has kept you alive and protected you until now. Attacking someone who is so clearly your superior is nothing but a foolish enterprise, boy." The sungoddess sneered. "You have no **choice** but to obey me, for that sword binds your life to my will."

"Oh yeah?" Ranma snorted, gathering his ki around him.

"Yes." Amaterasu smiled as she extended a hand. A bright beam of light extended, encompassing the pigtailed martial artist. A look of utter concentration passed his face, and then he began to scream.

"Give up, boy. You cannot possibly resist my will. You **will** do as I command."

Ranma writhed as he rose into the air from the magic surrounding him, pain searing through his mind as Amaterasu forced her will onto him.

_You will obey me yet, boy_, he heard her voice echo in his mind, impossibly loud as it droned out all other thoughts. _My word is your law. My will is your command._

He screamed, but never heard his voice. His aura burned around him, warring with the magic, but he never saw. His flesh began to burn, but he never noticed the smell. _I will not surrender. No one can force me to do anything. No one!_

_You are mine to do with as I please._

_I'm not! You can't control me!_

_I'm a goddess, foolish boy. You have no choice._

_I'm not letting you!_

_It matters not what you believe. What matters is that I have strength that you do not._

_I'm not letting you!_

_If you will not let me control you, then I shall break you._

_I won't be broken, I won't be beaten!_

_I have broken countless men stronger than you, boy. You are no different._

_I never loose!_

_You are like all mortals. Clinging to that foolish thing called hope._

_I…_

_Your hopes are in vain, mortal._

…_don't…_

_You will do as I command, or you will die._

…**_LOOSE!_**

The light surrounding the pigtailed boy imploded violently, disintegrating into motes of light as the beam was interrupted. Ranma slumped to the ground in exhaustion.

"You all right?" Ryoga's voice caused him to look up, and freeze in shock as the lost boy stood in between him and Amaterasu, brow furrowed in concentration as he tried to ward off her mental assault.

"Ryoga you idiot, get out of the way!" Ranma tried to shout, but all that left his throat was a weak croak. The lost boy understood him anyway.

And he smiled. "Not gonna happen. We gotta stick together and show her who's boss, right?" The strain on the lost boy grew stronger, and it was showing. He was forcing the words through clenched teeth, and sweat was pouring down his face. His muscles heaved as if carrying a great load, and he shivered as the goddess continued to probe his very soul.

Ranma rose to his feet, taking hold of the sakabato that had served him so well. Stepping towards the goddess of the sun, he held it out in front of him, causing Amaterasu to interrupt her attack as she glanced at him curiously.

"It was only a matter of time, after all," she smirked. Her smirk widened as she noticed Urd's shocked look, and Nodoka's angry scowl. "He is but a weak mortal. What can he hope to do?"

"This." The voice was quiet, almost a whisper, and the word went almost unheard. The metallic snap that came after it, however, seemed impossibly loud in the silence that followed.

Ranma tossed the broken halves of the sacred sword at her feet. "That is what I think of you and your 'divinity,'" he spat, clenching his fists. "Your daughter was right. You're all a bunch of arrogant, egotistical bastards who care for nothing but themselves."

"How dare you!" Amaterasu threw a blast of energy at the pigtailed boy, only to stand in shocked surprise as it passed through him harmlessly.

"Surprised?" Ranma whispered. "Your goddess powers can't hurt me. You can't hurt anyone who doesn't believe in you. You think you're strong, you think you know all, you think you can control us, but in truth you're nothing without people who believe in you and worship you. You're nothing if you can't force people to sacrifice to you and pray to you."

Amaterasu hissed in anger and left in a flash of light.

Once she was gone, Ranma sank to the ground. "Dangerous game you're playing there, kiddo," Urd noted as the group gathered around the pigtailed boy. "You're right in that her goddess powers can't hurt you, but her magic still can."

"There's a difference?" Ryoga asked.

"Yeah." Urd nodded briefly as she cast a healing spell over Ranma's newly acquired wound. "Careful, kiddo. I'm not sure you want a potion for that." She chuckled at his face. "Just kidding. Anyway, there's two kinds of magic we goddesses can control. Our own, innate divine magic, and the raw power we can channel into spells. The latter comes from various sources. For Amaterasu, it's the sun. Zeus over in the Greek pantheon uses lightning, and Raiden and Fujin get their powers from storms. It's kinda complicated, but that's basically reserved for the more powerful gods that have their own domains, like the sun, storms, and death."

The platinum-haired woman shrugged as she adjusted her robes. "Divine magic was designed to create and defend life. It can never harm anyone who doesn't believe in the gods anymore. It's kinda hard to explain, it's like it affects only those who actually believe that it can affect them, you get what I'm saying?"

"Sort of. It's kinda like you thinking you're going to get hit, just because she's a goddess and you can't do anyhting about it, right?" Ranma sounded dejected as he sat, staring at his hands listlessly.

"Yeah. But be careful, especially of those domain gods. They can draw a tremedous amount of power from their sources, and arcane magic can blast just about everything. So don't get too confident."

Nodoka placed a hand on her son's shoulder. He glanced up, and she pulled him into a tight embrace. "It'll be all right, son." The Saotome matriach extended her hand to Shampoo, and the amazon thought for only a moment before abandoning her weapons and joining the three-way hug.

The three remained like that for a long time, sharing comfort as they finally allowed the thrill of battle to fade away and the grief over the fallen to surface.

V--------------------V

"They were more than just great fighters. They were friends, family." His voice, albeit shaky, carried clear through the evening air as the sun faded behind him, and the assembled Joketsuzoku Amazons held their silence in respect to those whose lives had been lost.

"Ukyo was my first friend. At times, she was my only friend. Turns out she was more than that, more than I realized at the time. She was the sister I would have loved to adopt. She was funny, at times, even when she was mad; she had this…this determination to see things through, just to spite you and show you she could do it. She never, ever gave up."

Ranma took a moment to compose himself. "And Cologne, excuse me, Khu Lon," he started again in accented Mandarin, "when she arrived, all I saw was this three-hundred year old mummy. She proved me wrong, really quickly. She showed me that despite her age, despite the frailty of her body, if the will is strong, so are you. She never gave up on me, either. She challenged me with tasks that seemed impossible, and she taught me that the impossible is merely something no one has ever tried before. She was a teacher, at first. An annoying one at that, but I respected her for that."

The pigtailed boy paused for a moment. "But she was more than that. She treated me like an equal. A young child who had much to learn, but an equal nontheless. It's something no one did at the time, and I'm forever grateful for her faith in me. She believed I was able to learn everything she threw at me, and I'm proud to say I have been her student. She was a friend, as well, and probably as close to a grandmother as I'll ever have." He cleared his throat and released the hold he had on his aura. It was its usual deep, rich amber color, only this time it was tinged with a hint of crimson, making it the color of red gold. It flowed around him, gently outlining his body as he spoke.

"They gave their lives trying to protect others. For that, we honor them, and we return their bodies to the flames of passion and life that burned so brightly in both." With a roar, he launched a ki-blast at the small pyre that had been erected in the village square, setting it ablaze.

They stood, watching silently as the flames consumed all.


	7. Chapter 7: Blood of the Orochi

Arc Two: In Darkness, In Fire

Chapter Seven: Blood of the Orochi

"Excuse me, do you know the way to the Tendo Dojo?" Those familiar words were, contrary to popular belief, **not** spoken by a certain lost boy. Fact that was proven when, as soon as the man had an answer, his hand shot out of his pocket, and the passersby who had been so gracious as to provide him with the answer crumpled to the ground, dead from the dagger in his heart.

"Well, then, they did say I could have some fun on the way." Ryujin Yamazaki smirked cruelly as he set off in the direction he had been pointed in.

V-------------------V

"I'm glad you're home and safe, Ranma-kun." Kasumi smiled as she opened the door. The eldest Tendo daughter knew something was amiss, however, when she noticed the look on her fiance's face. The pigtailed martial artist walked slowly, deliberately, with a slump to his shoulders that indicated he was carrying a burden too heavy for him to bear.

Nodoka followed her son, briefly exchanging greetings with her, but Kasumi merely answered mechanically. Her mind was occupied with what could be bothering Ranma. Nodoka excused herself and left the two alone as the elder Saotome left for the bathroom to freshen up.

"Akane and Nabiki are still at school, but I think they'll be back in about an hour or so," Kasumi started, noticing she wasn't getting a reaction out of the pigtailed boy.

"Would you like a snack?"

When he didn't reply, Kasumi began to worry in earnest. There were few constants with Saotome males, and food was one of them. She gently took hold of his arm and guided him over to her own personal sanctuary, the kitchen, and sat him down on a stool.

Pulling up a second stool next to his, she sat down and pushed up his chin so he was looking her straight in the eye. "Is something bothering you, Ranma-kun?"

The boy shuddered as he took a deep breath. "I…I don't know if I can talk about it yet, Kasumi. I'm still trying to figure it all out. I-"

She placed a finger against his lips, silencing him. "Take your time, talk to me when you're ready." She smiled angelically and leaned back, despite the fact that her mind was working frantically to come up with a reason for his strange behavior.

"It's Ucchan," Ranma suddenly said, just as she thought she wouldn't be getting an answer. "And Cologne."

"What about them?" Kasumi frowned. She liked the chef. Ukyo was an old friend of Ranma's, and she made him happy. The eldest Tendo was glad he at least had a few friends that close; besides, she would never exactly wish anyone harm. Well, Genma came close. As for Cologne, Kasumi had disliked the ancient woman at first. Then again, the only impression she had gotten from her was someone who was so old, yet so strong, and used their strength to further rather selfish goals.

Over time, Kasumi had to admit, she had come to admire Cologne. The amazon matriarch had been the first to see the potential in Ranma. Cologne had been the first to acknowledge he was something special, that there was a genius hiding behind the façade he showed the world. She had challenged him, and he had overcome them, growing stronger and more mature in the process. She had become a teacher and occassional ally, and Ranma eventually regarded her as a close friend.

"They're dead." His voice was so low she almost missed it, but she didn't. Her eyes widened in shocked surprise.

"It wasn't supposed to happen, they were supposed to care…they didn't care…they killed them and they didn't care…" Ranma degenerated into hysterical ramblings as Kasumi finally gathered her wits and pulled him towards her.

It took a while for him to calm down, and when he did, he pulled back and offered her a weak smile. "Sorry, Kasumi-chan. I guess I'm still not quite over it."

"Ranma-kun…I'm so sorry. I'm so, so sorry." Kasumi felt a deep sadness she contained with an iron will that rarely showed in her ever-friendly persona. She contained it for Ranma's sake; right now, the boy needed someone to be strong for him, someone to tell him it was all right. She would grieve for them later, in the privacy of her own room, after she had made sure her fiance was going to be fine.

"They were supposed to care, Kasumi. The gods were supposed to care…"

"What do you mean, Ranma-kun?"

Ranma wiped at his tears angrily as he told her what had occurred only a few days prior to their return. When he was done, the elder Tendo was pale as she stared at him, torn between a newfound respect for his courage and anger at the gods above.

"She was supposed to care, y'know. I mean," Ranma gave a strangled laugh, "aren't the gods supposed to be benevolent? But she didn't care who got killed. She didn't care they got killed because of her mistakes, heck, she didn't even care if she blew up the world!"

For once, Kasumi was at a loss for words. It wasn't just because she was struck deeply by what Ranma had said, it was also because his words had caused herself to question her faith. Being a very traditional young woman, Kasumi had always been rather strict in her religious beliefs, having been brought up in a Shinto household. But what Ranma had just told her – and she had no reason to doubt the pigtailed boy's words – had shaken the very foundation of her religion.

The fact that the gods she prayed to were, in fact, completely unconcerned with the fate of their worshippers was equivalent to a huge slap in the face to them. It meant that their whole life they had clung to a hope that had suddenly turned out to be a cosmic joke. She made a decision then and there, one that would have far-reaching consequences for the eldest Tendo daughter that she was, at the moment, blissfully unaware of.

She decided that, with all that Ranma had gone through, he deserved a break, and that the gods didn't care for them, then religion be damned. If her fiance needed something, or someone, to hold on to, then she would be that someone.

"They might not care, Ranma-kun," she whispered softly, "but I do. I care about you. I love you. And I'm so very, very sorry for your loss."

Ranma looked up and mustered a weak smile for her sake. "I'm sorry you had ta find out, Kasumi. You of all people don't deserve to have their belief taken away from them."

The brunette shrugged nonchalantly. "Ranma-kun, I would have figured you'd know by now. The only thing I really need to be happy is for you to be happy."

"Thanks, Kasumi. You don't know how much that means to me."

Kasumi merely smiled. _Maybe I do, Ranma-kun. Maybe I do._

"Tadaima!" Akane's voice turned both their heads as the girl stuck her head through the kitchen door. "You're home, Ranma!" She exclaimed happily before taking note of the tear-tracks that lined the pigtailed boy's face. "What's wrong?"

"Ranma-kun's back?" Nabiki's head followed Akane into the kitchen as the other brunette entered the house.

Said martial artist merely shrugged. "I'll tell you later. It's…kind of difficult."

"You didn't pick up another fiancee, did you?" Akane mock-scowled. Ranma managed a brief smile as he shook his head. Any other day he would have risen to the jibe, and their usual verbal sparring would result. It surprised both Nabiki and Akane when he didn't; it had become somewhat of a routine with them.

Akane had mellowed out somewhat. She still had her fiery temper, though under Ranma's careful tutelage, and with the right incentive - of which there had been plenty of after the second disaster at Jusendo – she had it under control, most of the time. Kuno could still get her riled up, but that was more because the morosic kendoist had taken to a more…physical approach in his courtship of her. Actually, he had even gone so far as to transfer to Todai, merely because Akane was going.

Nabiki, on the other hand, was still as crafty as ever, if a bit more on the legal side these days. If there was information on any specific thing around you were looking for, Tendo Nabiki was guaranteed to be able to find it, or your money back. She also didn't quite have as much work to do as she used to, as Nodoka had brought her family's formidable assets to bear, and Kasumi had practically forced Genma to get a job if he wanted to remain living under their roof. She still had a couple of shady operations running, though those mainly restricted themselves to gambling on staged fights, of which there were plenty in Nerima.

Time had also not dulled the middle Tendo daughter's wit and senses, and she could see something was bothering the pigtailed boy. However, after enough run-ins with his stubbornness and Kasumi's protectiveness, even Nabiki had eventually learned that it would be more profitable for her to simply wait until he was ready to talk.

A slight knock on the front door diverted their attention, however, and Kasumi was about to leave the kitchen to answer when Nodoka waved her off coming down the stairs from the bathroom. "I'll get it, Kasumi-chan."

The Saotome matriarch straightened her kimono before opening the sliding door, only to backpedal rapidly as the first thing that greeted her was the sharp end of a wicked-looking knife. Nodoka's sharp intake of air alerted the group in the kitchen, and Ranma frowned at the hostile-looking man who casually twirled a combat knife in his hand. He sneered at them as he glanced at the two other Tendo sisters, and smirked wolfishly.

"The boss said you owed him, Tendo Nabiki. I'm here to collect."

Every eye in the room focused on Nabiki at that moment, who was frantically shaking her head. "I never ripped off anyone! Who the hell are you working for, anyway?"

"Boss Tanaka hired me to teach you a lesson for rigging a bet," the man smirked again, "but he didn't say anything about anyone else." His eyes settled on Kasumi who was, in contrast to her usual friendly manner, glaring at him dangerously. "I think I'll have some fun before I kill you."

"Over my dead body." Ranma took all he was going to take and stepped forward, settling into a combat stance.

"That can be arranged." The man stuck his hands into his pockets as he grinned at the pigtailed boy. "Ryujin Yamazaki. Remember the name on your way to hell."

Yamazaki blinked in surprise when Ranma appeared in front of him with a haymaker that rocked the Yakuza off his feet. He stood easily, slouching forward slightly. "That all you got, boy?" he sneered.

Ranma eyed his opponent carefully. The other man stood with a confident slouch that suggested he knew he could take on the Saotome youth without any trouble, and the ease with which he had gotten up from a punch that would have floored Ryoga unsettled him.

Yamazaki leaned forward, leering past Ranma at Kasumi. Said pigtailed boy bristled at being so casually dismissed. _Time for the big guns,_ the Saotome youth thought grimly. With a savage yell Ranma launched himself at the Yakuza with a flying kick that again did nothing more than knock the wind out of him. It did, however, propel them both out the door onto the porch, as Ranma had intended.

Finally, with room to fight, he cupped his hands in front of him. "_Moko Takabisha_!" The blast of brilliant golden ki rocketed from his hands and towards his opponent. Yamazaki sneered and lifted his arm in a lazy arc, and Ranma's eyes widened in shock when his own ki blast reflected back at him. The pigtailed martial artist barely had time to cross his arms and summon a weak shield before it hit, overloading his senses.

Blinking the light out of his eyes, his ki-senses blinded from the detonation of ki around him, Ranma failed to see Yamazaki's charge. The taller man smirked cruelly as he reached for the pigtailed boy, knocking him high into the air. The Yakuza spun out of the way of Ranma's reflexive counter-kick and grabbed hold of his leg, slamming him down into the ground hard. Before Ranma could reorient himself, Yamazaki had him by the neck and was driving him across the ground. After several feet, the Yakuza slid to a halt and reared back for a kick to Ranma's ribs, but the pigtailed boy took hold of his wrists and twisted, wrenching the Yakuza around and over him until their positions were reversed.

Ranma was now kneeling on Yamazaki's chest, pinning the Yakuza down with his weight as he began raining blows on his opponent. Yamazaki, however, merely shrugged off the punches and forced his opponent's arms back by brute strength. Ranma's eyes widened impossibly at the display of strength, and he stumbled back, barely tumbling out of the way as Yamazaki pulled his knife from its sheath and lunged at him.

The blade left a shallow cut on his forearm, and Ranma frowned as he felt warm blood flowing from it. Yamazaki brought the knife up, casually flipping the blood-stained blade through the air.

"I'm going to kick your ass for that," Ranma hissed, his aura blossoming to life around him. "Don't tell me the big, bad Yakuza is afraid of a mere boy?"

Yamazaki's sneer never left his face as he eyed the pigtailed boy, never saying a word.

_Can't draw him into a spiral…he's too experienced to let himself be taunted into it,_ Ranma mused. _Then I'll bring it to him._

With a low his, Ranma sprung from the ground, covering the distance between them in a single leap. Like before, Yamazaki's arm shot out, but it only grabbed air as Ranma twisted, flipping himself forward and crashing into the Yakuza feet first. The impact sent Yamazaki reeling, and Ranma landed in a crouch, flipping forward the instant his feet touched the ground, with a cry of "_Kachuu Tenshin Amaguriken_!"

Four-hundred-odd punches later, Ranma pulled back, ducking under a retaliatory elbow strike. Pain exploded when Yamazaki altered the course of his attack, striking down into Ranma's shoulder, and a snap-kick tossed the Saotome youth away like a rag-doll.

Ranma managed to right himself and land in a crouch, his eyes narrowing dangerously. _That didn't even wind him! Four hundred punches and he's not even feeling it…just what is he?_ With a low hiss, Ranma swept his hands out, trailing a light golden glow as the claws of the Neko-Ken formed.

Yamazaki blinked in surprise at the new ki attack, but brought his arm and knife up to block it. The Yakuza hissed in pain when instead of the expected effect, four parallel gashes opened on his forearms and his knife fell to pieces. He snarled at the pigtailed boy.

"I'll kill you for that!"

Ranma leapt over the shoulder charge that followed, almost not managing to move out of the way of the follow-up strike in time as he watched the wounds close themselves before his eyes. Before the pigtailed martial artist could react, the ground behind Yamazaki exploded into high-velocity shrapnel, making the Yakuza howl in pain.

"Can't leave you alone for an hour, can I? Just got back and already in trouble." Ryoga smirked as he walked through the spot Yamazaki had just vacated, courtesy of a punch from the lost boy.

"Heads up!" Ranma bolted past Ryoga as the lost boy sidestepped Yamazaki's shoulder charge. The pigtailed boy easily leapt over the Yakuza, landing a back-kick to his unprotected back, causing him to stumble forward for an instant before he caught himself.

That instant was all Ryoga needed. "_Kaen Kito_!" Ryoga's fist embedded itself into Yamazaki's stomach, and the Yakuza stared down at the offending fist for a moment. Ryoga grinned ferally as his fist began to glow, the ki detonating violently as it finished building up, propelling Yamazaki into the property wall.

"_Moko Takabisha Double_!" Ranma took full advantage of the opportunity as he hammered his trademark double ki blast into Yamazaki's prone form. "Don't let him get back up," Ranma grunted as he continued his barrage. "He heals faster than Saffron!"

Ryoga's eyes widened in surprise as he watched Yamazaki's blurry form getting back up through all the smoke. "_Kaen Kito_!" He hammered his fist into the ground in a variation of the technique, directing his ki as it travelled to a spot right under their opponent and blew up the ground underneath him in an explosion that rivalled the _Bakusai Tenketsu_.

With a savage roar, Yamazaki shrugged off the attacks and rushed forward, his arms flashing out to grapple with the pigtailed boy. Ranma nimbly leapt out of the way, taking to the air as he twisted around the Yakuza's attempt to use his superior body mass. Yamazaki almost didn't notice Ryoga until it was too late, and even with his Orochi blood enhancing his stamina the Yakuza felt the lost boy's shoulder-ram as Ryoga wrapped his arms around his torso and effectively pile-drove him into the ground.

"P-chan, time to fly!" Ryoga looked up as Ranma descended from his jump, and nodded in understanding. He kicked off the ground, meeting his rival in mid-air. Ranma took hold of the lost boy and flipped, using his innate dexterity to propel Ryoga further into the air.

The lost boy rose to an impressive height that he had to admit he wouldn't have been able to achieve alone. Gravity took hold of him again, but even before his ascent had stopped, Ranma was in the air again, triangle-jumping off the property wall and into Ryoga, giving him another boost up into the air.

Yamazaki's prone form began to stir, and Ryoga's eyes glittered dangerously as he took aim and hauled back.

Yamazaki groaned in pain. It had been a long time since anyone had been able to really hurt him, and left injuries that lasted for more than a few minutes. Yet in the span of half an hour, these two boys had managed to batter, bruise, and cut him until he was feeling like he had gone through a meat grinder. Without his Orochi powers.

He struggled to get back up, his mind focused solely on killing the two when pain exploded between his shoulders, and the world went black.

Ryoga's fist impacted Yamazaki's back, driving the Yakuza into the ground amidst a cloud of dust and debris. When the smoke cleared, Ryoga was still kneeling on the Yakuza's back, his fist still extended in a striking position. "_Tsuchi Buchikomu_," he muttered, eyeing his opponent carefully until he was sure he was indeed out cold.

"Hammer drive?" Ranma asked from the side as he massaged his bruises. Ryoga merely shrugged.

"You gotta admit, it hits hard, if anything."

"True. Then again," Ranma snickered softly, "I had half expected you to get lost in mid-air."

Ryoga mock-growled and lightly elbowed his friend. Light for Ryoga, that is. In his condition, Ranma barely managed to keep from doubling over. The lost boy noticed instantly. "He got you good, huh?"

Sudden clapping could be heard from the porch, and the two rivals turned around to see an unfamiliar man standing at the door, smiling coldly. It wasn't an unfriendly smile, rather it was one that told them of his desire to test his abilities against theirs as warriors.

Ranma eyed the newcomer carefully. He was a lean man, obviously a foreigner, standing almost a foot taller than even Tendo Soun, with a shock of blonde hair and aristocratic features with wild, piercing blue eyes that spoke of his lust for battle. The Saotome youth moved into a defensive stance, not really wanting to get into another all-out fight so soon after taking down one would-be challenger.

The blonde man smirked and held up his hands. "I'm not here to fight. Actually," he noted with a smirk, "I came to warn you that Yamazaki there was on his way." He nodded at the downed Yakuza. "Oh well." He shrugged.

"So, what's with him, anyway?" Ryoga walked over to Yamazaki's prone form and knocked him on the head as he began to stir, causing the man to drop back down.

"I'm afraid to say he's somewhat of a loose cannon. He used to work for me, but I had more occasion to want him dead than I would have preferred." The blonde eyed the Yakuza on the ground. "His toughness was the only thing that made him remotely useful."

"Yeah, what's up with that, anyway?" Ryoga snorted. "I've never seen anyone who could take that much punishment and not go down." The lost boy pointedly ignored the arched eyebrow his rival was giving him.

"It's quite a long story. Needless to say, it takes quite a bit to take him down, and I'm rather impressed you two managed it." The blonde man took a step off the porch, extending his hand in a western handshake. "My name is Geese Howard."

V-------------------V

"So, you want my help in setting up a fighting tournament?" Nabiki suppressed a snort. She could almost smell the fact that there was an ulterior motive to this man's actions. After Yamazaki had been taken care of – courtesy of the tall gaijin's bodyguard – he had formally introduced himself as Geese Howard, host to one of the most infamous fighting tournaments in the world: The King of Fighters.

Nabiki had heard of the man, of course. It was hard not to when he was so rich and powerful he basically controlled an entire city with far-reaching connections into Brazil and Japan. He made no secret of the fact that he was deeper into organized crime that the Italian Mafia, and that he obviously had heard of Nabiki's more…shady business transactions in her younger years.

He also made no move to hide the fact that, should he **really** want her to help him with whatever he needed her for, there was no way she could say no. Not that he actually had said anything to that effect, but Nabiki prided herself on being an expert at reading other people.

Geese nodded. "You've heard of the King of Fighters tournament?"

Nabiki nodded, having heard the name in passing several times. It was a big entertainment issue in the States, but that was the extent of most of her knowledge. Ranma, on the other hand, almost choked on his tea and ended up spitting it across the table.

"The King of Fighters?" The pigtailed boy whispered almost reverently.

"What's so special about some tournament?" Ryoga frowned as he looked at his friend's almost-glazed over eyes.

Ranma immediately snapped around to stare at Ryoga incredulously. "Only the fact that it's the place where the most powerful martial artists of the world meet and fight! It's where everyone dreams of being one day, to be able to compete with them, to test your skills and your strength against the best of the world!"

Geese chuckled at the boy's enthusiasm. "You're mostly correct, boy. However, you're wrong in one thing. Most of the fighters aren't martial artists. They're warriors. They come prepared to give it their all, to fight until they can't lift their arms anymore – and then some."

"So, why come to Nerima?" Nabiki peered at Geese intently, hoping to find any indication of the man's hidden agenda, but his amused stare revealed nothing even to her trained eye.

The blonde man shrugged, placing several cards on the table, sliding them over to Ranma and Ryoga. "I've heard of this place. An acquaintance of mine, Sakazaki Takuma, referred me here. He told me interesting stories about the area."

Ranma picked up the cards from the table, eyeing them curiously. The pigtailed boy's eyes widened in shock, something that didn't escape Nabiki's attention. "These are…"

"Invitations to the King of Fighters 1997. I take it you will see to their distribution?"

The Saotome youth lowered his head as he caught two of the names on the cards. He slid them back to Geese. "They won't be attending." All those present could hear the strain in his voice, and both Nabiki and Kasumi, who knew what to look for, could see the tears held back by the martial artist's iron control.

"And you know that how?" Geese asked him with an arched eyebrow. Ryoga leaned forward and snuck a glance at the two cards, and the lost boy understood why Ranma was returning them.

"They're dead." Ranma's voice was flat, emotionless as he watched Geese's eyebrow climb higher. "They died four days ago in China." Nabiki and Akane, who had remained silent until this point, gasped in shock. Their eyes focused on Ranma, finally realizing the reason behind his depression.

"A pity. I heard they were exceptional fighters." Geese shot an amused glance at the pigtailed boy. He could easily see Ranma would like nothing more than to jump across the table and take his frustration and anger out on someone. "So," he noted, returning his attention to Nabiki. "It's a very good business, and I assure you," he added with a small smirk, "it's all perfectly legal."

The middle Tendo daughter quickly weighted her options. She was still reeling from the fact that someone they knew had died, but quickly steeled herself. There would be time to get the whole story from either Ryoga or Nodoka later. She fully realized that in his current state, Ranma was in no condition to tell them about it. "What do you need me for?" She finally asked.

"You have contacts around here. I need someone to handle the finances and set up several locations for the tournament, and make sure it's advertised. I also need someone to contact and invite the fighters." He nodded appreciatively, "you've been referred to me as the best." His eyes glinted in amusement. "I'm willing to offer you a 25 percent commission on this job."

"And if I refuse?" Nabiki felt much too cliché'ed, but she felt she had to ask anyway.

"Then I take my business elsewhere. I would still like to hold the opening ceremony in Nerima, and invite the fighters here, and I'll do it with or without your help."

Nabiki quickly glanced at her sisters, seeing Kasumi's nod and Akane's inquisitive look, she returned her gaze to Geese. "You've got a deal," she told him. The tall man rose, smirking, and handed her a business card. "I'll be calling you then, Ms. Tendo. Good day."

The room was silent until he had left, at which point both Nabiki and Akane turned to Ryoga, dragging the lost boy up the stairs to question him. Ranma merely sat, staring at the invitations in his hands.

Kasumi and Nodoka merely sat in silence, watching him as he fought with the tears. Both women knew him well, and realized that the loss of two of his friends would leave a deep wound that would take a long time to heal…if it ever did.

Finally, Ranma broke down again, silent tears streaming from the corners of his eyes as he clutched the two cards with Ukyo and Cologne's names on them. "It's not fair," he whispered. "It's not fair. They should be here. They should be getting this. Ucchan should be celebrating all the business it'd be gettin' her, and Cologne should be jumping at the chance to show the world her three thousand years of Amazon fighting techniques."

Kasumi's heart nearly broke at seeing the man she loved like this. This wasn't the Ranma she knew, it wasn't the one who had left for China three weeks ago, happy to get an invitation from Cologne to come and visit the rebuilt village. This man had a gaping hole in his soul, and the only thing she feared she could do was offer him comfort.

The eldest Tendo daughter reached over from where she sat next to the pigtailed young man and placed a hand on his shoulder as they sat in silence.

V-------------------V

After seeing to her great-grandmother's funeral, Shampoo had stepped before the Council of Elders. The circle of ancient women had offered her a place amongst their ranks; the same seat Cologne had once held, but Shampoo declined in a not-so-polite way with a mace into a table.

After seeing her only family killed so callously by her own sisters, the purple-haired amazon had fled the village angrily for days, refusing to remain in the same place that had caused her so much grief. Ukyo had been her friend, too, and her sister by honor, if not blood, and her death on top of Cologne's was salt in the wound.

Now, a week after Ranma had left, a week after the funerals had been held, Shampoo was regretting not taking the pigtailed martial artist up on his offer to return to Japan with him. It was true, the Nekohanten held too many memories that still hurt, but at least she would have been amongst friends there.

Here, she was all alone, in the middle of rivals, ancient trolls who had once been jealous of her great-grandmother's position. Shampoo let out a tired sigh. She just wasn't cut out for politics. She had even less respect for the remaining elders who, now that she had declined Cologne's old position, had returned to bickering among themselves for the seat of matriarch.

Besides, she needed something to take her mind off what had happened, or at least someone to share it with; unfortunately for her, there were no open ears in Joketsuzoku. Soap, the village's lore master, with whom she had formed a tentative friendship after the siege of Jusendo, had died two years ago, a victim of old age and the stress of rebuilding a culture.

Cologne and Ukyo were dead, and Ryoga, Ranma, and his mother had returned to their islands. Shampoo allowed herself a soft chuckle. With any luck, Ryoga would get lost and maybe stop by.

And Mousse – he still had not returned from the Musk, and it was unlikely he would anytime soon. Cologne had dispatched the myoptic Hidden Weapons master to Herb to serve as a liaision between the Council and the dragon prince.

She sighed as she packed the last of her belongings into a duffel bag, casting a last, reminiscing look around the hut she had been raised in by Cologne. A soft knock at the door drew her attention to the front of the house. Wondering who could be wanting anything from her at this time of the night, she walked over. To her surprise, the only thing she found was a letter pinned to the door.

Cologne's heir searched the night for the messenger, but she blinked in surprise when nothing caught her eye, as if the person who had brought her the letter had vanished into thin air. Closing the door, she sighed. _I must be really far gone if I'm starting to imagine things,_ she mused, but the paper in her hand proved that it had indeed not been her imagination.

She tore the envelope open, almost instantly recognizing the messy scribble that covered the first page. A small smile tugged at her lips as she read through Ranma's letter. Shuffling through the pages, she found the small card he was writing about.

_Hey, Xian Pu,_

_I hope you're doing well. I really wish you'd come with me and Mom back to Japan, but I guess there's too many memories here. Somehow, it's not the same here without you and the old ghoul, and Ucchan. It's too quiet. Anyway, a couple of days ago this strange guy stopped by, and he's inviting all of us to a tournament that's going to start here in Nerima. Your invitation is attached, and I'm really hoping you'll be coming. After all, the King of Fighters is the biggest tournament all around, and I'm pretty sure Khu Lon would love to see you there. She'd be proud of you, I'm sure. It might take your mind off things, for a while. _

_Hope to see you there,_

_Ranma_

Shampoo smiled softly as she turned the small card end over end, reading the elaborate script that spelled out her name and four simple words: _The King of Fighters_. Hefting her bag, she folded the letter and left both the house that had been her home for most of her life, and the village that had been given birth to her. She never looked back, hoping that Cologne would smile upon her decision from the afterlife.

V-------------------V

Dinner at the Morisato temple was, for once, a quiet affair. This was unusual, because Urd was, oddly enough, not reacting to any of Skuld's taunts. The eldest Norn simply sat quietly, picking at her food before politely telling Belldandy that she had lost her appetite and would be in her room. Then she would pick up her dishes, place them in the sink, and leave the room.

Belldandy sighed as she watched her elder sister leave the dining room. For the last week, Urd had been strangely subdued, and neither her nor Skuld's best efforts at coaxing her into talking about whatever had her in such a funk had met any success.

Matter of fact, as far as the goddess of the present could tell, all Urd was doing in her room was lie on her bed and stare at the ceiling. She never thought she would actually admit it, but she almost wished that Urd would be doing _something_, but her silver-haired sister had neither touched her potions nor reacted to any of Skuld's insults since her return from China.

Belldandy was beginning to wonder what was going on; her father hadn't replied to any of her attempts to contact him, and the rest of Asgard was seemingly as tight-lipped about whatever incident had occurred in China as Urd was. The only break of monotony had been an appereance by Mara, just after Urd's return. The demoness had locked herself in Urd's room together with her half-sister, and if Belldandy had to hazard a guess, she would have to say they were drowning their sorrows in alcohol.

Skuld's angry cry brought her back to the present, and she sighed in resignation as her youngest sister almost tossed her trusty hammer after Urd. Keiichi had long since backed away into a corner of the room where he was relatively safe from the angry outbursts of the young goddess. "Really, sometimes she can be so...so..." Skuld grasped for words, but a stern look from Belldandy silenced her.

"We don't know what happened there, Skuld. Please, just give her some time." Internally, though, the goddess of the present was almost as agitated as her sister, mainly because it had been a long time since she had seen Urd so shaken up. No, that wasn't quite right, she corrected herself. Urd had been in a pretty deep ditch after Ryoko's death, but she and Setsuna had managed to climb back out. But this, this went beyond anything Belldandy had ever seen Urd do.

Keiichi glanced over at her, and she gratefully noted the concern in his eyes; Keiichi had been the first to predict that something wasn't right when the happy-go-lucky Urd had gone on her depression trip. "Excuse me, please," Belldandy announced as she rose from the table. "I'll go and check on Urd."

The remaining two occupants nodded silently, though, in Skuld's case, rather reluctantly. The youngest Norn had learned not to barge into Urd's room unannounced, the hard way. For once, Urd hadn't held back on her lightning bolt strike, and Skuld had realized just how powerful her sister was. She still winced at the memory of the shock she had received.

"Urd's Castle" the sign on her door proclaimed, but as Belldandy knocked on the door and entered, she stood stock still for a moment in quiet surprise. The room, which had previously been furnished in luxurious colors and had had expensive furniture and laboratory equipment strewn around in an organized chaos that only Urd could hope to figure out, was bare. The walls were white and the only pieces of furniture in the room were a table and a bed.

A bed, which was currently occupied by the Norn of the past, who was trying to feign sleep and failing miserably.

"Urd?" Belldandy asked as she moved to sit down on the edge of the bed.

"Go 'way." Urd slurred, hoping to get rid of her sister.

"No, Urd. Not this time. We're worried about you, all you've been doing for the last week is lock yourself in and drink until you pass out. Please, my sister. Tell me what happened."

Urd chuckled dryly. "You see any sake in here?" She snorted in a most unlady-like fashion. "Been running so dry Mara thought I'd been taken over by a pod person."

Letting a small smile of relief pass her lips, Belldandy glanced around the room and noticed that it was indeed bare of any alcohol. "Then what have you been doing?"

"Thinking." Urd shrugged.

"About?" Belldandy prodded, knowing that she was treading dangerous waters. One wrong move and Urd would clamp up so tight not even the Allmighty could pry anything from her.

Again, the silver-haired goddess shrugged. "Lots of things."

"Like?"

Urd sat up abruptly. "Look, Bell. I know you mean well, but this isn't something you should hear. Heck, **I** don't want to hear it."

"Try me." Belldandy leaned back, peering into her sister's eyes. "Maybe you just need a second opinion?"

"No. I'm not telling you. It's for your own good."

"But you can talk to Mara about it?"

Urd's eyes almost pleaded with Belldandy to let it go, but the goddess of the present decided to ignore it and plow onwards. "Please, Urd. You need to talk about this to someone. Should I call Mara up here?"

"No." Urd shook her head. "She knows, because it affects her directly. I can deal with it, so please, just leave me alone."

"Urd, you are obviously **not** dealing with it well. You're spending all your time in here, you're not eating, you're not talking to us...please, Urd, we're worried. We want to know what happened so we can help you."

Realizing that her sister wasn't going to just go away and leave her to her own, depressing thoughts, Urd shifted, almost glaring at her sister. Belldandy reflexively shied back at seeing the emotion in her elder sister's eyes. Urd's usually sharp, clear emerald eyes were clouded with anger, confusion, sadness, and fear. What caused her to pause was the fact that Urd was actually afraid of _something_, and she had never seen her sister show fear.

"Bell. Leave me alone. It's for your own good. I'm not telling you."

And, for the first time in a long time, Belldandy felt something stir deep within her. For the first time in centuries, she felt _angry _at her sister's words. "No, Urd," she almost hissed. "I'm not leaving. I'm sick and tired of you telling me it's for my own good! We're worried about you, we're trying to help you! Why don't you trust us for once? Trust us that we'll be able to handle what happened? Do you really think that lowly of us? Do you really think we'll fall apart at the slightest piece of reality?" She took a deep breath at the end of her rant, and glared, actually _glared_ at Urd defiantly.

"No, I don't, Bell." Urd's voice was strained, as if all the fight had left her at once, leaving her tired and feeling incredibly old. "But this...is so surreal I don't want you to even try to handle it. I've seen it happen with my own eyes, but I don't want to believe it," she said softly.

"Seen what? What happened, Urd?"

"Please, don't make me tell," Urd whispered, her voice hoarse as a few lone tears managed to leak past the iron control she had erected around her emotions.

"Please, Urd, tell me," Belldandy told her sister softly. "You've got to tell someone for the healing to begin. Please, let us help. Let your sisters take care of you, for once."

Urd remained silent for a while, her shoulders heaving as she struggled to regain control over herself. Finally, after several long minutes, she broke the silence. "You remember when Mara came over?"

Belldandy nodded, not sure where her sister was going with this.

"She came to tell me a friend of ours died."

"Oh, Urd, I'm so sorry…"

The eldest Norn lifted her head, letting Belldandy see the true extent of anger her emerald irises held. "She was a demon."

That caused Belldandy to pause. "How…?"

"Doublet system."

"You mean-" Belldandy trailed off, blinking in disbelief. While it wasn't unheard of for a mortal to defeat and even kill an immortal, even a demon or god, it was very, very rare. So rare, in fact, in this age of civilization, that she knew of only one who had accomplished this spectacular feat in more than a thousand years, and that was one Saotome Ranma. In case a mortal managed to defeat an immortal, however, the doublet system was suspended, as its only purpose was to prevent demons and gods from killing each other. As it was, the only alternative was that a god or demon had killed one of their own.

Urd snorted in disgust. "Do you remember the emergency we had a few days ago? That wasn't just any normal bug. We got a real big power spike in Joketsuzoku, China. You remember, that amazon place?"

"Yes."

"A while back, I think before you even remember, Amaterasu had a daughter," Urd began. "It was a pretty nasty story, and most of us didn't really do what's right, what we were supposed to. I don't think you remember her, do you? Amatsu?"

Belldandy shook her head in negative, wondering how long ago this had happened. While she wasn't nearly as old as Urd, she **had** lived through a long time.

"Didn't think so." Urd laughed hoarsely. "That was back when we sort of decided to leave Midgard be, you know, withdraw from actually living here. Amaterasu was one of the few who…well, I guess you could call it an ego-trip. She's got this habit of going overboard every few centuries just to prove she 'still has it,' as she calls it. Amatsu, she didn't quite agree. She argued we should stay on Midgard, that it was our duty as gods to aid the mortals, so they could reach their full potential, you know. Amaterasu didn't really think there was anything exceptional to mortals – quite the opposite, really."

"So what happened?" Belldandy had heard the bedtime stories and myths surrounding the legendary daughter of the sun as she was growing up, but she knew there was more to the story than the heroine-turned-evil.

"They argued. Amatsu ended up trying to take Amaterasu's place as the sungoddess when she almost blew up a continent and didn't care. They ended up fighting, and you know the saying – history is written by the victors. Amatsu was branded a fallen goddess and sealed away. Jusenkyo Valley was containing so much magical energy at the time it could easily power the seal, and we placed one seal each with each of the three races that inhabit the valley to keep that power under control, remember?"

Belldandy nodded. "That was what that demon was after a few years ago, wasn't it?" While she hadn't been involved in the fighting of what Urd had dubbed the siege of Jusendo, Belldandy had been involved in the cleanup of the fallout. Yggdrasil had suffered much damage, and there were so many dead it reminded her of the great wars of the century. Fortunately, through some foresight and good leadership on the part of a few select mortals, Midgard had been spared a much more destructive conflict in the wake of the catastrophe.

"Yeah. Well, what we also put in the amazon village, since Amaterasu is their matron goddess, was Amatsu's seal. She's been in suspension for probably longer than you've been alive, Bell. A week ago…she came back. Someone in that village discovered Amaterasu's old sword, and awakened Amatsu." Urd shuddered. "When I read her power spike, I went and got Amaterasu, and you know what she said? 'I'll finish her off,' she said. 'Her life was forfeit the moment she turned on me.' She went down to Midgard to kill her, Bell. Her own daughter. She didn't care that Amatsu was her daughter, she didn't care that she was killing someone else through the doublet system, all she cared about was that there wasn't anyone strong enough to be a threat to her!"

Urd's almost hysterical cry shocked Belldandy. As long as she had known her older sister, Urd had always been able to swing from one mood to another in the blink of an eye, but she had never been so…extreme.

"And you know what?" Urd whispered, "Amatsu said something. She said something, and I'm scared because I know it's true. Without living next to mortals, we've grown so…so decadent. We barely go out and do anything anymore. We're drowning in our own superiority, and while we're deluding ourselves in being so great, we're ignoring what the people here on Midgard are accomplishing. We're ignoring that there's anything worth our attention here because there's no one left who's strong enough to challenge us. We think we can toy with their lives as we please, and no one is there to judge us, because we **are** the judges."

"Urd…"

"No Bell, let me finish." Urd took a deep, shuddering breath. "Amatsu made mistakes herself. She practically killed dozens of humans to come back to full strength to challenge her mother, and while the ends don't justify the means, what she said isn't any less true. You can't deny it, Bell. Look at Asgard. You can't tell me it's not true."

Belldandy remained silent for a few moments, before meeting her sister's eyes and seeing the total conviction in them. "No, Urd, I can't."

"Ranma, bless that kid, he fought her. Damn all the odds, he fought her, because he wanted his friends, all those who'd died because of Amaterasu and her daughter, to be brought back. He fought her like the devil, Bell. He fought and won against both of them. And you know what? You know what he walked in on? He walked in on Amatsu stabbing his best friend through the heart and drinking her blood. He found the corpse of pretty much his grandmother pinned to a wall. And still, he turned around and walked away after he beat her. He _walked away_, Bell. All he wanted was for them to be brought back, not revenge." The tears came freely now, but Urd made no move to wipe at them.

"What happened then?" Belldandy was almost afraid to ask, hoping that her premonition wouldn't come true.

"Amaterasu just walked forward and killed her. She just didn't care, Bell. She said no mortal could ever best her, and that she was above listening to them. She tried to get Ranma to just walk up to his mother and kill her just to prove his point."

The goddess of the present covered her mouth in horror. "Kami-sama…"

"He resisted her, Bell. For all her power, for her claiming to be above mortals, he bested her. He demanded she bring them back to life, but she just didn't care…" Urd's words degenerated into a jumbled mess of thoughts as the dam broke and she broke down in her sister's arms.

V-------------------V

Shoppers made a wide berth around him as he walked down the aisles of the grocery store. He was smirking outwardly, cutting a distinctive figure with his flaming red hair and dark blue jacket, but he had resigned himself to never being able to lead an ordinary life. His heritage and bloodline had taken care of that. When he reached the cashier, he resisted the urge to groan when the girl at the register fumbled with the buttons, causing a cacophony of beeps and bleeps that attracted more attention than he was already drawing.

When she finally gave up fighting the devilish contraption, mumbling that it was on the house, he managed to force himself from banging his head against the nearest convenient wall in disgust. After all, he had an image to maintain.

So, he just nodded gruffly, shoved his hands in his pockets, the bags of groceries hanging from his wrists, and walked out, uncaring of the people staring at him.

Actually he could understand why they were staring, after all it wasn't every day that you saw him walking the streets, but this was getting ridiculous. He had to **eat**, after all. Yagami Iori, the 'Insane Orochi Warrior,' smiled slightly at the thought of a few well-prepared meat dishes that awaited him at home. Passersby that caught sight of his upturned mouth made haste to scramble out of his way, and for some unexplainable reason, Iori began chuckling.

His full-blown laughter, however, died before it even started as he glanced around and saw no one around for three blocks. _Oh well_, he shrugged. _Not my problem. Probably another Gojiro alarm, or something._

Thinking happy thoughts about the half-dozen steaks that occupied his shopping bag, Iori walked home with a rare spring in his step. Alas, his perfect day was not to be. Iori froze in mid-step, slowly turning around as a wracking cough shook his body. His eyes widened in shock as his hand came away bloody.

_What the…what's going on?_ He felt a burning sensation all along his body, as if his blood was boiling inside. The feeling almost made him want to tear his skin off, but strangely enough, it passed quickly after a few moments. Deciding to ponder this mystery later, Iori hastened his paste to his apartment.

What he failed to see were three people who had just rounded the corner ahead of him. A tall, muscular man with sandy blonde hair, a woman in a leather dress a number too tight with long violet hair in a ponytail and an ever-hungry leer, and a little boy whose brown bangs covered his eyes.

V-------------------V

Halfway around the world, unbeknownst to the Yagami heir, a similar scene was playing out. Unlike Iori, however, this person collapsed in pain for long enough to pass out. When she came to, she stared into a bright blue eye next to an unblinking black eyepatch.

"What happened?"

"We're hoping you could tell us. Ralf and Clark heard you screaming, and when they got to you, you were outside, unconscious." The commander of the infamous Ikari Warriors mercenary army, Heidern, sat back. Only Leone could make out the slight indication of relief in his eyes, but she saw it despite his best efforts to hide it.

"I don't know. I thought I heard something, and I went outside to check. I don't know why, but I just felt…like my blood was on fire."

"Intriguing." Heidern steepled his fingers. "We'll look into it. I'll have the perimeter guard doubled and scout for anything that's out there."

Leona nodded, moving to slide off the infirmary bed. Heidern stopped her with a hand on her shoulder. "Rest. You were in pretty bad shape when we found you, and I'm sure you're feeling it."

Heidern's adoptive daughter nodded and lowered herself back onto the bed as he left the room.


	8. Chapter 8: The Will to Live

Author's Note: Re-submitted the chapter, fixed a couple of typos and a mistake TheDudeAbides graciously pointed out. Thanks, man! I appreciate it!

Chapter Eight: The Will to Live

"Oh, good afternoon, Howard-san," Kasumi greeted the tall gaijin as she opened the door for him only a week later. Geese nodded and offered her a neutral "Good afternoon," before looking around. Kasumi caught his wandering glance, and stepped back to move into the kitchen. It was, after all, her duty as hostess to offer her guest tea, at least. "Nabiki isn't home right now," she told him over her shoulder as he sat down at the table.

Only moments later, she returned, carrying a tray holding a pot of tea and several cups. Geese accepted the cup she offered him and took a sip of the hot liquid. "I wasn't looking for her," he clarified.

"Oh, well, we did deliver your invitations." Kasumi glanced back in the direction of the dojo. "Howard-san," she began slowly. It wasn't quite proper for the hostess to ask a favor of her guests, but there was nothing else she could think of to do.

"Yes, Tendo-san?"

"Would you do me a favor?" Seeing Geese's nod, she continued. "Ranma has been shutting himself inside the dojo lately, and he rarely comes out. I'm worried about him, but he won't talk to me. He says he's dealing with it, but I don't think he is."

With a smirk, Geese rose, heading for the dojo. "Don't worry. I'll talk to him." _After all,_ he mused, _it wouldn't do for one of the best fighters of the tournament to loose because he was moping around._ At least, that was what he tried to convince himself of.

The dojo that was attached to the Tendo home was a simple affair, much smaller than the Sakazaki dojo, but it was kept in good shape, nonetheless, and Geese involuntarily found himself bowing in as he stepped over the threshold. Sitting against the far wall, staring off into nothingness, sat his pigtailed target.

Geese stopped in front of him, eyeing Ranma intensely. He frowned at what he saw; the boy sat, his limbs hanging listlessly as his eyes looked without seeing. "Boy," Geese growled, but getting no reaction. _Stupid boy's feeling sorry for himself. What an idiot._

Deciding that he had already exhausted what little patience he had been holding for this task, Geese decided to do things his way.

A moment later, Ranma was flying across the dojo in an uncontrolled tumble courtesy of the _Shinkuu Nage_. Geese allowed himself a smirk as the boy righted himself in mid-air reflexively and landed lightly on his feet. Ranma glared at him for a brief moment, and Geese shuddered, but the fire in the pigtailed martial artist's eyes was gone as quickly as it had come, and he turned around to trot over to the other side of the dojo.

Geese growled. He hated being ignored, but he hated someone who so obviously wanted to wallow more. Without so much as a whisper of his feet on the ground, the blonde launched himself at Ranma in a jump kick that clipped the Saotome heir as he turned around. Geese landed in a crouch and spun up and around, ramming his shoulder into Ranma's jaw, sending the boy flying back.

"_Jaei-ken_!" The shout echoed through the dojo as Geese catapulted himself forward in a vicious elbow-charge that caught Ranma square in the chest. The pigtailed boy tumbled back, but before he could roll with the impact, Geese delivered a follow-up palmstrike and reverse punch that sent him flying backwards. Geese relaxed his stance somewhat, staring at his opponent.

Ranma rose slowly, wiping the blood leaking from the corner of his mouth, and Geese arched an eyebrow. "I'm impressed. Not many can stand up that easily after getting hit with a full-force _Jaei-ken_." _He's got potential. A lot of it, from what I'm seeing. I think it may have been a good decision to invite him, after all._

"What's your problem?" Ranma snarled.

Geese shrugged. "I should be asking, what's _yours_?" At the pigtailed boy's confused glance, he smirked and continued. "You're sitting in here, moping around. Newsflash, kid: feeling sorry for yourself hasn't helped anyone. Your girlfriend's almost too good for you. She's been waiting and worrying out there, but if you don't care about her then be my guest and go ahead and be your egotistical little self."

Ranma's eyes flashed with anger for a moment before his shoulders slumped. "Yeah, you're right. Kasumi's probably better off without me."

Geese suppressed the urge to shove a _Reppu-ken_ into the boy's face. "What are you doing, _boy_?" The blonde crime lord sneered, not bothering to hide the disgust in his voice.

"I-" Ranma broke off, staring down at his hands. "I don't know," he finally whispered.

"I'll tell you, then. You're moping around as if your life was over."

Ranma glared at him, anger returning to his eyes once more for a brief instant. "And it's not? What good am I if I can't even protect my friends and family? What if the next nutcase who comes around for me manages to hurt Kasumi, or mom, or someone else?"

Geese's reply was a blast of ki as he threw a _Reppu-ken_ at the pigtailed martial artist. The blast traveled along the ground faster than Ranma could track, crashing into him with enough force to slam him against the dojo wall.

"What did you do that for?!" Ranma rose again, his anger leaking into his voice.

"I'm giving you a reason to live. Either you fight, or you die. A warrior is useless if he refuses to fight." Geese lunged at his opponent, the snap-kick missing by a hair's width as Ranma rolled to the side. "A warrior fights because he has to, not because he'll win." The words were followed with a barrage of punches and kicks as Geese launched his custom combination, the _Deadly Rave_, at the pigtailed boy.

Ranma tumbled to the side, barely having managed to avoid the majority of the attacks. _I can't keep dodging forever! He's too good._ A greenish aura began to outline the Saotome youth as he unconsciously channeled his ki in his frantic efforts to avoid getting hit.

"A warrior fights not for himself, but to protect those around him, and when he fights, he gives it his all," Geese took the time to allow his words to sink in before using another _Reppu-ken_ to cover his approach. The violent wave technique passed by his opponent, but Geese's fist found its mark; Ranma doubled over from the blow, and Geese took full advantage of his stunned target. "_Rashomon_!" He twisted around the pigtailed boy, slamming an axe kick into his back with enough force to cause Ranma to bounce off the dojo floor, and flipped into the air with a shout of "_Shippu-ken_!" The energy blast rammed into Ranma's prone body, causing him to skid to a halt at the far end of the dojo.

Geese landed lightly on his feet. "Who will fight for them? Who will protect them?" He eyed Ranma carefully as the pigtailed boy picked himself off the ground. "That your friends died is regrettable, but you know what sickens me? That you sit around, feeling sorry for yourself and wait for someone else to come and pick up the pieces, instead of doing something about it."

The lord of Southtown sneered. "You know what? No one's going to come and save you. Not another warrior, not your friends, not the gods. That's your job. And if you don't do it, then you're better off dead." He charged at Ranma with another _Jaei-ken_, but this time the pigtailed martial artist knew it was coming.

_I need to fight back._ The thought raced through his mind. He could see the barely controlled rage in the older man's eyes that told him he was dead serious. If Ranma didn't fight back, Geese **would** kill him. He ducked under the elbow charge as he allowed long-honed reflexes to take over, and sprung forward.

The two fighters flashed past each other, then turned around to face their respective opponent. Geese nodded to himself as he suppressed a wince. That shot to his kidneys had hurt. One glance at the pigtailed boy's eyes, however, caused him to smirk. There was a fire burning there that hadn't been there before.

Ranma growled as he let himself fall back into the familiar feeling of battle as his aura extended around him. With a hiss he launched himself at Geese, with a cry of "_Kachuu Tenshin Amaguri-ken_!"

Geese saw the punches coming and snorted in disgust as he snapped his arm upwards, causing a wave of chi to explode upwards, sending the pigtailed boy flying back. He was surprised when Ranma got back up, the raging aura around the Saotome heir melting from blue-green to a deep golden color. "Haven't had enough yet, _boy_?" Geese made sure the derogatory tone was heard.

Ranma's feral snarl was his reward, and he smirked. Rage burned brightly in the boy's eyes, along with a lust for battle he had seen in few people before. All other emotions were forgotten as the pigtailed boy submerged himself in the feeling of battle.

He launched himself at Geese again, this time with his arm cocked back to deliver a reverse punch. Geese's eyebrow arched at the predictable attack. _Or maybe he finally snapped with grief._

The crime lord set himself to counter the his opponent's charge and finish him, but when the trap closed, the prey wasn't there. Eyes wide in shock, Geese watched as his _Atemi Nage Chuudan_ passed through thin air as Ranma tumbled forward, coming up in a handstand-propelled double kick that rocked him backwards several feet.

The pigtailed martial artist landed in a crouch and leapt after Geese. Catching the blonde man in mid-air, Ranma began pounding on him with the _Amaguri-ken_ once more as he let loose a wild, wavering warcry.

Geese blocked the majority of the blows, but without leverage in the air, he found it next to impossible to avoid getting hit. He landed on his back and rolled to his feet, wiping the trickle of blood from the corner of his mouth angrily. He glared at the pigtailed boy, preparing to charge at him again, when suddenly, Ranma's ki winked out and he collapsed.

Blinking in surprise, Geese shrugged and picked the boy up, carrying him back into the house. Kasumi froze for a few seconds as she saw him pass by, her unconscious and bruised fiancée over his shoulder. "Mental fatigue," he explained in passing. "Probably hasn't slept the last few days."

Geese dumped Ranma's body on the couch unceremoniously, and turned around, only to find a frowning Kasumi standing before him. For reasons unknown to him, the sight of this woman being anything but happy sent chills down his spine. The lord of Southtown quickly vowed to never have her irritated at him.

"Oh my, Howard-san, I asked you to cheer him up, not beat the tar out of him," the eldest Tendo daughter chided him.

Geese chuckled, a sound that surprised himself despite himself. "He needed to get it out of his system," he explained. "Battle is in his nature, just like breathing is in yours."

"What did you do?" Kasumi's glare softened as she realized the truth in the older man's words.

"I gave him a reason to live, and to fight." Geese's smirk returned. "He's a very good fighter, but without the will to live, he's as good as dead. He needed a reason to focus on being able to fight again, without second-guessing his abilities all the time. I gave him the incentive, but only you can give him a true reason. Good day, Tendo-san." He turned to leave, but Kasumi's slender hand on his shoulder held him back.

Her usual angelic smile graced the eldest Tendo daughter's lips. "Thank you, Howard-san," she told him quietly. Geese nodded gruffly and left. _I must be getting soft in my old age,_ he mused. There had been a time when he would have just dismissed Kasumi's request and walked away, uncaring of the pigtailed boy's fate. He shrugged. As long as no one heard about it, he didn't particularly care. He did have a reputation to uphold, after all.

V---------------V

All over the world, from the United States to the United Kingdom, from Australia to Brazil, and from Germany to Japan fighters of all styles and forms opened their letters. Letters that, much like in previous years, had the most sought-after seal on them a fighter could wish for.

Back in Japan, however, Yagami Iori walked through the Nerima district of Tokyo, wondering what on Earth he was going to do until the fighting started. He was beginning to think just staying hidden in his hotel room might be a good idea. There seemed to be a lot of weird people in this particular part of Tokyo. He shuddered as he thought back over some of the encounters he'd had wandering the streets of Nerima.

_That girl in the leotard was hot, all right, and a somewhat decent fighter, but her laugh…oh god._ He shook his head to clear it of the memory of the sound. _And I didn't know palm trees could grow on someone's head…_

Iori stopped dead in his tracks as he walked into someone. He was about to gruffly push his way past when his eyes travelled downwards to take in carefully coiffured brown hair, a white leather jacket, and the face of…

"Kusanagi!" Iori bellowed. "For walking into me, prepare to die!"

Before Iori could do anything, though, Kusanagi Kyo, one of the champions of the King of Fighters tournament, had taken off screaming at the death threat. The Yagami heir stood there for a moment, blinking in surprise. _Huh. He never did _that _before. Usually it's Magatama in my face and then we slug it out._

Iori shrugged and decided to file this little oddity under a victory for himself, and continued on his way whistling a jauntly tune. His thoughts turned to the coming tournament. _I wonder who'll be there. Looks like the Kusanagi scum and his gay troop are going to be back._ Iori snorted. _I'm willing to bet Bogard will be there, too. The Sakazakis, probably. This is so close to their home it's just a train ride away._

His thoughts were violently interrupted for the second time that day when he walked into someone again. _Maybe I really should be watching where I'm going?_

"'Scuse me. Say, do you know where the Tendo dojo is?" The young man before him asked as he glanced around sheepishly. Iori eyed him carefully. He was a little shorter than him, the black and yellow bandanna barely reaching up to Iori's eye level, but he was very stocky and muscular, speaking of long time training in martial arts.

The insane Orochi warrior looked around and merely pointed to the left, at a building with a sign attached to the gate: "Musabetsu Kakuto Tendo-Ryu."

"Thanks!"

Iori just barely caught himself before he fell over as the guy promptly turned around and walked the other way. And no, that was **not** a sweatdrop that was forming on the back of his head. After all, he had an image to maintain.

V---------------V

Ranma blinked as he awoke, frowning for a moment as he struggled to recall the events leading to him lying on the couch with his head in Kasumi's lap. His frown deepened when he remembered Geese's challenge. The fact that he had passed out in the middle of a fight could only mean one thing…

"I lost," he whispered softly.

Startled by his voice, Kasumi looked down, smiling gently as she shifted. "I wouldn't call it loosing, Ranma-kun. You went into that battle with something missing, and I hope you came out a little wiser." She waited for his nod before she continued, "that is never loosing, Ranma-kun. I'm really glad Howard-san came by."

Ranma was shocked to see a tear making its way down her cheek, knowing it took quite a bit to break through Kasumi's mental shields. "Kasumi?"

"I didn't know what to do anymore, Ranma-kun," the eldest Tendo daughter confessed softly. "You were retreating into yourself, shutting me out. I was so scared…that you wouldn't let me in, wouldn't let me help."

"Kasumi," he muttered as he sat up, realizing for the first time in days the hurt he'd caused those around him by his behavior. Geese had been right, he **had** been wallowing. And Saotome Ranma would be damned before he was ever caught sinking into self-pity. _Time to set things right,_ Ranma mused. _He was so right it wasn't funny. It's my duty to protect those who can't protect themselves. It's my duty to protect my family. Sitting around on my ass ain't gonna keep them safe. _

"I'm sorry," he whispered as he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close. "I'm sorry I caused you so much hurt. I'm sorry I refused to let you help me, talk to me. Not anymore." _Not anymore,_ he mentally added. _It's about high time I went and did something about it. Ucchan and granny died not because I wasn't strong enough, but because I wasn't there. But this isn't what they'd want me to do. They'd want me to go and do my best to never let it happen to anyone else. They'd want me to go and enjoy life._ A small grin formed on his lips. _They'd want me to join the King of Fighters and kick ass. For them. I think it's time to think about **why** I fight._

Kasumi merely remained silent, releasing her pent-up frustration and fear into his shoulder. After she had collected herself, Ranma pulled back slightly to brush the tears from her face. "There's still some things I need to think through, Kasumi, but I'd very much like to talk about them, if you're still willing to listen?"

"Anytime, Ranma-kun." Kasumi smiled.

Ranma returned her smile easily this time. "I think I'm going for a little walk. I've been cooped up long enough." He stood, pulling her along with him. "Would you like to come along?"

Kasumi's light laughter echoed in the deserted living room. "Give me a moment, Ranma-kun." While she left to fetch her jacket, Ranma was left to himself in the room, marvelling at how much lighter he felt after admitting a few home truths. He never noticed Nabiki's sly grin around the corner as the middle Tendo daughter poked her head around to look in on the scene.

_Way to go, little brother,_ she smirked mentally as she left for her room.

A few minutes later saw both Ranma and Kasumi outside the dojo gates, both wearing similar smiles of utter contentment.

"So, Ranma-kun, what do you think of Howard-san's tournament?" Kasumi turned to look at him after a while, a small laugh escaping her at the light in her fiancee's eyes. He was grinning like a child at Christmas.

"It's **the** tournament, Kasumi. They're the best fighters of the world, and every martial artist wishes he would get an invitation someday, because that means you're one of the few who're deemed good enough to compete." The eldest Tendo daughter could see he was restraining himself from jumping up and down in anticipation.

"But I've never heard of some of the people Nabiki is sending invitations to," Kasumi noted. "Well, except for Herb and Kiima, and the Sakazaki family. The Yata are well-known, but I never thought they were this good."

"You don't get invited to the King of Fighters on fame or money, Kasumi," Ranma told her. "Some people are so rich or famous almost everyone knows them, but that doesn't mean they're any good. And some are no-names, but they can outfight almost anyone on the planet." He looked up at her. "And I get to compete with them!"

Kasumi found his enthusiasm rather infectious, and soon found herself grinning along with him. "Does that mean you're competing?"

"Heck yeah! Although," he added sheepishly as he pulled the invitation card from subspace, "it says here I gotta find a team, and that means two other people."

"What about Ryoga-kun and your father?"

Ranma snorted. "You really think Pops would last even a minute against some of the people there? And nothing agianst Ryoga, but we work much better when we're competing. It makes things more fun." He grinned toothily.

Kasumi giggled at his cat-like grin. "Well, I'm just glad Howard-san agreed to hold the tournament in a two weeks, so you won't miss any classes." She absently leaned into him as they walked. "After all, it wouldn't do for you to start slacking off in school now, would it?"

The pigtailed martial artist couldn't decide whether to look affronted or horrified at the mention of school and failing, and the resulting mixture of both expressions sent Kasumi into a fresh bout of laughter.

"That reminds me," she added, "have you decided what you would like to major in?"

"Gee, Kasumi," Ranma scratched the top of his head. "I didn't really think about it much. Been kinda busy with everything that's happened." His voice trailed off as his thoughts turned dark.

Kasumi had clapped her hands over her mouth almost as soon as the words had left her. "I'm sorry, Ranma-kun. I didn't want to bring it up again."

He waved her off. "It's all right, Kasumi. It…it still hurts, but I still need some more time, ya know?"

She merely nodded as they dropped off into an uncomfortable silence.

"I think I want to be a doctor," he finally said after a while. When Kasumi looked at him in confusion, he clarified, "I think I want to study to become a doctor." He glanced down at his hands. "You know, there was a time when I used to think that martial arts and healing were mutually exclusive, and Tofu was just a one in a million exception." He chuckled dryly. "I mean, all I ever did is fight, but I always tried to fight to help people, ya know?

Kasumi nodded in understanding. "Now you would like another way of helping people?"

"Yah. That's it. Medicine, especially the traditional medicines, aren't that different from the Art, you know. Acupuncture requires just as much skill in manipulating ki and precision as striking a pressure point in battle, and in some ways it's more demanding than firing a ki blast." He smiled slowly. "Not to mention more rewarding, at times." He turned to her. "How about you?"

The brunette took a few moments to answer. "I don't know," she finally told him. "I used to want to study medicine for the same reasons as you, but since we started college, I'm not so sure anymore."

"Yeah, you're taking way too much pleasure in math and science," Ranma grinned. "Not to mention torturing me with them."

"Well," Kasumi giggled, "if you weren't always falling behind in math I wouldn't have to tutor you, you know."

"I'm not that bad!" The pigtailed boy protested.

"You're not that good, either," Kasumi smiled. "Besides, can you really say you don't like our study sessions?"

Ranma looked thoughtful for a moment. "Hmm…nope. Can't say I don't." His face fell into a pout that Kasumi thought was incredibly cute. "Can't win with you, can I?"

"Never." Kasumi took the opportunity to place a quick peck on his lips, and sighed contently as his arm wrapped around her waist pulled her closer.

"You know, Kasumi, I never really thought about what we were going to do after we're done studying." Ranma relished the way her shoulders moved against him when she shrugged. "I mean, I do want to keep up my art, and I'll bet there's all sorts of esoteric healing techniques out there. I don't know if I can settle down right after we're done."

Her eyes caught his, and she nodded, acknowledging the unspoken message. "Ranma-kun, I will only let you travel the world on one condition, and that's not negotiable." Her eyes hardened, and Ranma gulped as he realized Kasumi had indeed taught Nabiki everything she knew about negotiation.

"And what exactly is that?" Two could play that game, but Ranma already knew that he'd lost. He never could refuse Kasumi anything.

"When you go off on your adventure, when you go travel, take me with you." Kasumi grinned, indicating that Nabiki had nothing on her. "I want to be a part of your life, even if it means not settling down for a few years. Besides," she added with a mischievous glimmer in her eyes, "it would be fun, ne? Just you and me, and the adventure that is life."

"Y-you want to come with me?"

"Ranma, just because I'm three years older than you doesn't mean I'm not willing to wait for you to fulfill your dreams before settling down. And besides, I'd like to get out of the house, myself. I love you, and if you need to travel around and find yourself first to be happy, then I'm happy to go with you, so we can walk that road together."

Kasumi turned around when Ranma stopped, a quizzical look on her face as the pigtailed boy stood still, staring at his feet. "What's wrong, Ranma-kun?" For a moment, the eldest Tendo daughter feared the traditional Saotome foot-in-mouth disease had struck even her, and something she had said had been taken the wrong way.

When Ranma looked up, she was taken aback by the sheer emotion that reflected in his eyes. "Thank you, Kasumi," he whispered hoarsely. "Thank you."

She smiled, took his hand in hers, and continued down the road, blushing slightly as he leaned over to whisper in her ear. "I love you too, Kasumi."

What they were blissfully unaware of, however, was that the scion of the Kusanagi clan was currently headed their way after his run-in with Iori. This in itself wouldn't be of any consequence, but the fact that would spell doom for the couple was that Kyo had been traumatized by the greeting he had received upon his arrival in Nerima. It had consisted of Kuno challenging him to a duel between two noble houses, which hadn't been too bad. What the Kuno heir had failed to mention, however, was that upon his defeat Kyo had "earned" the right to date his sister.

The reason Kuno had concocted this plan was to get his sister off her fixation with Ranma. Apparently, the insane kendoist still hadn't realized that Ranma and his pigtailed girl were one and the same person, and he still hadn't forgiven Ranma for "spiriting her away." The more things change…

Kodachi, of course, had taken to a champion fighter fighting and winning a battle for her hand very enthusiastically, which had had resulted in a drugged Kyo being dragged off to the Kuno mansion. Now Kyo, being a ladies' man, had no problems with beautiful girls throwing themselves at him. In fact, as his uncle Saisyo had told him on more than one occasion, he seemed to enjoy it a little too much.

No, the problem consisted in the fact that he was unused to the many, **many** nasty things a devilish female mind could come up with if properly bored. He would be having nightmares from his near miss in Kodachi's bed and the girl's colorful language for the rest of his life.

It also hadn't helped that he'd been mistaken for someone's shampoo bottle by some nutcase with coke-bottle glasses, challenged to a martial arts Cheese-Whiz-and-Whip-Cream fight, and finally, had run into his nemesis. By that time he really hadn't had the nerve to get up and fight Iori, after his encounters of the day. Thus, his little-girl scream as he ran away as fast as his feet would carry him.

Talk about culture shock.

Anyway, back to our favorite couple. What spelled disaster for their peaceful stroll through the streets of Nerima was the fact that they were about to cross paths with a very, very hysterical Kusanagi.

And it also didn't help that, while very far removed, Kyo was Kasumi's ten-times removed cousin, and that Saisyo had always liked to bring him over back when Soun's wife had still been alive and the man had been practicing the Art.

Now, a hysterical Kyo in itself was bad enough, but a hysterical Kyo who had experienced Nerima and was acting like an overprotective brother was far, far worse. So, it came to the inevitable, and eventually, as with all things in Nerima, he crossed Ranma's path.

The fact that he was still screaming like a little girl, which caused both Ranma and Kasumi to double over in laughter, didn't really help matters much.

Now Kyo, being a champion fighter, had his pride, and even while completely and utterly scared out of his wits, it wouldn't take being laughed at lying down. So, when he looked up his expression grew angry until he caught sight of Kasumi, and he smiled broadly.

"Thank god! Kasumi, is that really you?"

"Cousin Kyo?"

"Yatta! Finally someone who's normal in this town!"

"Y'mean, you know this weenie, Kasumi?" Ranma noted from her side as he eyed the obviously out of his mind man in front of them. The pigtailed boy was still shaking with silent laughter, and he had to admit that it felt good to let himself feel happy again.

"He's a distant relative of my mother's," she told him. "He used to come over sometimes when we were young."

Meanwhile, Kyo's mind had caught up with the rest of him. "Who're you calling a weenie, boy?" He glared at the pigtailed martial artist. Two slights to his pride in one day, that boy was pushing it. Kyo usually considered himself easy-going, but insults to his hard-earned fighting skills weren't taken lightly.

"Uh…only weenie I see here is you?" Ranma scratched the back of his neck with one hand, his other arm around Kasumi's waist. The girl giggled.

"Yes, well, Cousin Kyo never did have to undergo any significantly harsh training," Kasumi noted.

"What? Did, too!"

Kasumi arched an eyebrow, causing Kyo to shrink back into himself.

"I did some hard training the last few years and I made it to the finals of the King of Fighters for the last two years!" he protested.

Ranma snapped his fingers. "You're Kusanagi Kyo!"

Kyo's head snapped around. _Finally, he's realizing who he's talking to!_ The Kusanagi heir's hopes for respect were dashed, however, when Ranma continued.

"You're that weenie who just blew up the entire ring with your attacks because you sucked so bad you couldn't even touch your opponent!"

"What?! Whaaaaaat?!" Kyo noticed for the first time that Ranma had his arm around Kasumi – **his** Kasumi (whether the girl would agree to that assessment or not didn't really matter to Kyo at this point) – and his jealousy found a release.

"Die!"

Ranma jumped back from a vicious backhand strike, flipping through the air with Kasumi in his arms. He took quick note of the fact that the attack, while thrown in rage, still had a decent amount of control behind it; there was no way it would have hit Kasumi.

He grinned madly, settling Kasumi down on the ground as he landed, and sprung forward to meet Kyo in mid-leap.

Ranma, for his part, found it ridiculously easy to dodge Kyo's attacks. The guy wasn't bad, but he was angry, and Ranma was just that much better at reading his opponent's moves. He turned to the side to let a snap-kick pass by him, and back-kicked his enraged opponent with enough force to send him skidding back several feet.

"Take this! _Yami Barai_!" The blast of orange magatama travelled along the ground at speeds higher than anything Ranma's own _Moko Takabisha _could accomplish. The pigtailed martial artist arched an eyebrow as he took in the technique, so similar to another he had encountered just hours before.

He flipped out of its way, coming down on the Kusanagi heir in an aerial kick that sent Kyo careening away.

"Oh my, Cousin Kyo, please stop." Kasumi was back at Ranma's side, placing a calming hand on his arm.

Ranma turned to her with a pout. "But Kasumi, it was just getting fun!"

The girl took one look at the smile on his face, and the exhilaration of fighting, and almost relented. However, she did feel sorry for her cousin. "But Ranma-kun," she admonished, "it isn't nice to pick on those weaker than you."

"Hey!" Kyo shouted as he got back to his feet. "No way is that little boy stronger than I am!"

"Sure looked that way to me, Kusanagi," a gruff voice added from the sidelines.

"Oh, don't tease him, Iori. He's gotten quite a bit better since the last tournament. But I'm more interested in the young man who fought him quite handily." A second voice chimed in, one that spoke with a rough American accent.

All three turned to the side, and Kyo froze, while Ranma's eyes lit up. He intestantly recognized the two men standing across the street from the numerous articles about the King of Fighters tournament. The pigtailed martial artist grinned broadly as the tall American met his eyes, blazing with the fire of challenge. Ranma knew his held the exact same look. He could tell just by the way those two stood they were fighters, and their auras, while not visible, spoke volumes about their abilities as warriors. He grinned as he felt the urge to challenge them inside him. After all, it wasn't every day you got the chance to meet both the Insane Orochi Warrior and the man who had defeated the being that called itself the God of War.

Iori snorted as Kyo tried to hide behind Kasumi, while giving Ranma an appreciative look. While the Orochi-cursed fighter didn't think much of Kyo, he knew that in the past the Kusanagi heir had been close enough to his own fighting ability that they were evenly matched. That they both had the flames of the Magatama at their disposal merely meant that they had to push their endurance and skill that much higher.

A normal-looking teenage boy going toe-to-toe with even an angry and unfocused Kyo, and making it look easy, was no simple feat, and Iori could respect that. The Yagami heir suppressed a smirk as he realized that Bogard was already looking for a new challenge with this boy, and from his stance, Iori reckoned the boy felt exactly the same way.


	9. Chapter 9: Spirit of the Wind

Chapter Nine: _Kama Itachi_ – Spirit of the Wind

Iori watched the boy with an amused smirk. He liked the kid already, from that little scene he and Terry had walked in on. Truth be told, the boy pissed Kyo off to no end, and that was a huge plus in Iori's book. Plus, Iori recognized the girl. After all, her father had been a friend of his father's.

Okay, so they weren't really related, but he remembered the fond times he spent when he and his father passed through the area while training and stopped by to visit them. He felt sorry for Kasumi, after all, they had stopped visiting after her mother had died, but he had always liked her. She was, after all, the little sister he never had.

Yagami Iori, family guy. He snorted in disgust, praying that no one ever found out. His image would never survive it.

Actually, Iori mused, watching Kyo trying to cower behind Kasumi was kind of funny. The Yagami heir snorted. First he ran away from him, now he was hiding behind a girl. Wait till this got out to the public. He tried to stop it, he really did. It started as a low chuckle, and grew into a full-blown laugh as he tossed his head back and laughed out loud to his heart's content.

"Hey, don't laugh at me!" Kyo's protest only caused Iori to laugh harder. It proved infectious, as Terry chuckled and Kasumi and her companion broke into identical smiles.

"Now, Kyo, there's no need to start a fight in the middle of the street," Terry noted with a grin. "We don't want to cause any property damage, now, do we?"

The Kusanagi heir glared at the American, but relented. He did, however, snap at Ranma, only to have his wrist painfully twisted behind his back in a perfect Aikido grip as he tried to reach for the young man's shoulder.

Said pigtailed martial artist arched an eyebrow. "He always like this?"

"Cousin Kyo, you really shouldn't be attacking my fiancee like that," Kasumi admonished him, causing his eyes to widen in shock. "It's better for your health."

"Never!" Kyo roared as he sprung to his feet. "I'll never allow you to marry Kasumi!"

Kyo's lunge at Ranma's throat was interrupted by Iori's fist. The Yagami heir growled as he moved in between Kyo and the couple, and fell into his usual slouched fighting stance. "Leave them alone, Kusanagi scum," he snarled.

Across from him, Kyo likewise fell into a combat stance, magatama beginning to coalesce in his hands. "Get out of the way, Yagami. This is none of your business."

Ranma sighed half-heartedly. "Not this again."

"Well, Ranma-kun, at least he hasn't said 'it' yet," Kasumi giggled. Ranma marvelled at how his chaotic life always seemed to amuse his fiancee. After all, it wasn't every day that you found a girl with her sense of humor who found his life interesting enough to put up with him.

"**Geese Howard, prepare to die**!!!"

Four heads whipped around at the familiar war cry that, oddly enough, had a different target than Nerima was accustomed to. Terry merely sighed in disgust.

"Duck," he told the others as he crouched. Shrugging, the others followed suit.

Moments later, a white and yellow blur shot through the space their heads had just occupied with a cry of "_Chou Reppa Dan_!" It crashed into a nearby wall with enough force to break through. It was quickly followed by a purple blast of ki from the sky as Geese Howard landed on his feet easily.

The crime lord eyed Terry carefully. "Well, Terry?"

The elder Bogard glared at Geese but held himself back, instead busying himself with digging out his brother from the collapsed wall.

Meanwhile, Ranma and Kasumi were watching the scene curiously. "Looks like you're not the only one who seems to get that a lot, Ranma-kun," Kasumi noted.

Iori and Kyo, in the meantime, had returned to their staring match, until Geese knocked them both upside the head.

"Save it for the tournament. Kusanagi, the rest of your parade has arrived." Geese glared at the Kusanagi heir, and even Kyo was smart enough to realize that the fighting would be best left for another day.

Iori shrugged, clearly disappointed, and turned around to grin at Kasumi. "How've you been, Kasumi-chan?" He didn't miss the dangerous gleam in Ranma's eyes at the term of affection.

Kasumi smiled and leaned forward to give him a brief hug. "I've been well, Iori-kun. It's been a long time." She turned around, catching Ranma's eye, and the pigtailed boy relaxed, something that didn't escape both Iori and Geese.

"Touching. However, Yagami, we still have something to discuss. Namely, your lack of a team this year."

Iori sniffed disdainfully. "I can take out those nitwits by myself."

"That may be true," Geese chuckled, "but the rules are the rules."

Iori grunted noncommittally as his eyes settled on Ranma, and an idea began to form. He grinned, causing Geese to wonder what the Yagami heir was up to now.

"How about it, kid?" Iori asked.

"Me?" Ranma's eyes widened. "Do you even have to ask?"

Iori smirked at Geese. "One more."

"If I recall the team listing correctly, Howard-san," Kasumi added from the sidelines as she realized what Iori was planning, "you're not in any team, either."

Geese took a sudden step back as their plan hit him. "Oh no. I'm not partnering with you two. We'll have too much fighting each other." He grinned at Ranma meaningfully before turning around. "Besides, my team's just arrived."

Kasumi pouted slightly at their failure. Ranma saw it and leaned up, placing a quick kiss on her lips, blushing as he did. Iori merely turned away.

"Get a room, you two," he mumbled, hiding a grin behind his hands.

"Say, Iori-kun, do you have a place to stay?" Kasumi's question brought him back around to face his friend and her boyfriend.

"Not really." He shrugged. "I was planning on renting out a room somewhere till all the fighters got together."

"Then you'll stay with us," Kasumi announced. "Won't you?"

Iori looked confused for a moment at the piercing look she was giving him when Ranma took a step forward and whispered, "Better accept, if you know what's good for you. Kasumi gets mean if you turn her down."

The Yagami heir shuddered at the thought of the ever-friendly Kasumi he knew being "mean," so much that he didn't even want to think about it. "Sure," he told her, and a moment later, all three were headed back to the Tendo dojo.

V---------------------V

When they got home, they had a surprise waiting for them. The smell of ramen was wafting from the kitchen, and animated chatter was coming from the living room. Ranma opened the door, only to find his arms full of lavender-haired amazon. He stumbled backwards into Iori, who pushed him back forward with a smirk.

His martial arts training took over, and Ranma turned his body as he fell, and wrapping his arms around the girl clinging to him. The end result was that he ended up on his back, on the ground, with Shampoo right on top of him in a rather compromising position.

"Wo da airen! Wo ai ni!" Shampoo's voice and words took him back to a different time, and he blanched, completely missing the mischievous glint in her eyes.

The next thing Ranma saw out of the corner of his eye was Kasumi's hurt look, and he shot to his feet, letting go of Shampoo as if his hands were burned.

"It isn't what it looks like! Honest!" He began waving his hands in front of him, screwing his eyes shut in light of the coming lecture.

"Ranma-kun," Kasumi began slowly. "You really should have kissed her. She was so looking forward to it."

The pigtailed boy's eyes shot back open as he fell down back to the ground. "Wha-?" he squeaked intelligently.

Kasumi and Shampoo finally couldn't stop it anymore and broke out into soft giggles. "Honestly, Ranma-kun, you're so easy to tease," Kasumi smiled as she gave the amazon a hug.

"It good to see Ranma no change." Shampoo agreed as she turned from Kasumi to Ranma, and smiled, giving him a quick hug and a peck on the cheek. The amazon then turned her attention to the red-haired man. Kasumi noticed and introduced him.

"Shampoo, this is Yagami Iori. He's an old friend of mine, and he'll be participating in the King of Fighters."

Shampoo eyed him appreciatively, before grinning. Iori eyed her with an appraising glance for a moment, before nodding and grinning in return. "You interested in joining me and the kid?" At her quizzical look he elaborated as the group moved to sit down at the table. "Every participant has to be part of a group of three fighters. The way the tournament works," Iori stole a glance at Ranma, noticing that the pigtailed martial artist was listening with rapt attention as well, before continuing, "is that the fighters in the ring stays till they drop. Winning team is obviously the one with the last man standing."

Iori smirked. _Hook, line, and sinker._ He could see the glow in the girl's eyes as they lit up in anticipation, and was pleased to note that his initial impression of the two had been correct. _They're fighters to the bone, through and through._

V---------------------V_  
_

Her arrival was not heralded with a puff of sulfuric smoke, or any of the other fancy effects that usually accompanied the arrival of major divinities. Hild sighed as she stepped out of the shadow of a large tree in the Morisato temple's yard; if one looked closely, they would be able to see the slightest sign of weariness in her usually immaculate features.

Though Hild, queen of Nifleheim would never admit it to anyone else, the last few weeks had left her drained emotionally and mentally. She even felt a few centuries older. The reason for this was quite simple – for the second time in only a few years, a mortal had managed to rattle at the very foundation of their divine society. And it was the same mortal that had defeated a rogue demon just a few years back, to boot.

She had been following the events of Amatsu Mikaboshi's revival, naturally, and had been prepared to step in – after all, it would not do to tip the already fragile balance of power between the gods and demons by adding such a rogue element, but as she continued to listen and watch, she had to admit that the daughter of Amaterasu had quite a few valid points.

Hild distinctly felt regret about the mortal lives lost – not just because it led to more paperwork for herself, but because of the senseless deaths that had been caused by either side in the brief, but brutal, conflict. She sighed as she remembered processing Cologne. The ancient woman had been around for a long time, and Hild had met her once or twice while visiting Midgard; the elder demoness had been impressed with the knowledge Cologne had displayed, but what had awed her far more was how she lived. It always amazed Hild how mortals could live such a simple life, without any magic whatsover, without the constant peace and stagnation afforded by the realm of the gods.

When she had first met Cologne, back when the amazon was a mere young woman, she had scoffed at the fact that Cologne had simply smiled and shrugged and told her she was happy as it was. As time went on, however, Hild had found herself fascinated by her, and she visited a number of times. Though for the elder demoness it was but the blink of an eye, decades passed for Cologne, and soon Hild found herself faced with a wizened old woman whose arcane knowledge could rival some of the gods.

Still, despite her years, despite all she had seen, Cologne continued to be content in the simple way of life she led, and Hild found herself admiring her ability to live life with such a simple intensity, such determination to squeeze the most she could out of every single day.

It was then that she realized that mortals might not be such inferior creatures, after all. Despite their lack of magic, or anything truly powerful, they had managed to band together, form a civilization, and make advances in technology that had equalled or surpassed almost anything that could be found in Asgard or Nifleheim.

It had pained her to see Cologne's soul pass through the gates of the underworld, on the way to the afterlife, and she had personally seen to it that Cologne had a place amongst those in the fields of Elysium. Valhalla, Paradise, Nirvana, it was just a different name for the place of rest for those who'd been deemed worthy, and whose souls would await their rebirth if they so chose. She had finally met Cologne in her true form, and the amazon had merely smiled at her, recognition in her eyes.

"It's been a long time," she had said. "I've missed your visits and our chats, but now it seems I have all eternity to sit and talk." Cologne had laughed at her shell-shocked expression. When asked how she had seen through her disguise magic, Cologne had merely shrugged. Her ki-signature had given her away.

With a smirk, Cologne had explained. "Rarely have I seen such a strong lifeforce, child. I knew from the moment we met, when I could feel your ki, that you were one of the immortals. I never thought it mattered all that much, after all, when two friends talk, does it really matter who they are?"

Her complete disregard of her divinity had thrown Hild for a loop, but she smiled fondly when she remembered another person who had been impossible to awe with her divine status. She had shown Cologne the way, and promised to visit soon, for tea and a chat about the old times.

Cologne had chuckled and promised to keep a kettle on the stove in preparation, and had asked one last thing of her before she had stepped through the gates of Elysium.

"Please, old friend," Cologne had begun, "watch over them. Watch over my great-granddaughter, and watch over Ranma. I know that Ranma will blame himself for our deaths, and I know he won't stop until he's either convinced he's not at fault, or he has found a way to bring us back, even if it means challenging the gods. They both deserve some happiness in their lives, and I'm afraid that some gods may not take it lightly when he comes looking for vengeance."

Hild had thought about it for a moment; from what she had seen of the pigtailed boy's character when she had met him briefly a few years ago, she knew Cologne was right. The boy had such a determination, such an iron will, that he would move Heaven and Earth to right a wrong. She also knew from watching his little altercation with Amaterasu that he wasn't afraid of going up against someone whose power apparently dwarfed his own.

In the end, she had given Cologne a curt nod and walked away. Ever since, she had been watching him, and she'd been happy to inform Cologne when Ranma had come out of his funk. The two had spent quite a lot of time at Mimir's Well, staring down onto Midgard, watching them live their lives.

It was this, that had brought Hild to visit her daughter. While watching Ranma deal with the fallout of the events in China, she had also seen Urd's trouble in dealing with the same. She knew he daughter had a soft spot for Ranma, especially after all they had been through together during the demon incursion in Joketsuzoku a few years back. Hild allowed herself a wry smile. It was funny, how fate tied them all together, demons and gods and mortals, into the huge tapestry that was life.

Hild's musings caused her to miss a certain robot, and she was rudely shaken from her thoughts when she found herself coughing up baking flour.

"Stay away, demon!" A young voice was shouting from the other side of the makeshift smokescreen, causing Hild to arch an elegant eyebrow.

The flour in the air finally cleared, and Hild wiped the white powder from her face in irritation as she turned to glare at her would-be attacker.

"Eep!"

Hild caught the barest flash of a young girl with long black hair as she hid behind the mechanical contraption that still had its flour-covered barrel aimed at her.

"Oh my!" Belldandy stood in the open door, attracted by the commotion. She had her hand covering her mouth in shock, while Urd, who was standing next to her, wasn't quite as restrained. The Norn of the past let out a soft giggle, causing Hild to soften her glare. With a mischievous grin, the elder demoness teleported behind her daughter, with a summoned bag of flour in hand.

Ignoring Urd's shriek of indignation, Hild dumped the contents of the bag on her daughter, drenching her in the white powder. Urd coughed away the flour and whirled around but her retort died on her lips when both Hild and Belldandy broke out into laughter.

"What brings you here, Hild-san?" Belldandy asked after their initial laughter had calmed down.

The queen of Nifleheim shrugged. "Can't I spend some time with my daughter?"

Urd grinned. "Don't tell me that's the only reason you came."

"Just the major one. I also haven't had any decent whiskey in ages." Hild matched her daughter's grin; however, it quickly faded. "Seriously, Urd, how've you been?"

"Well, I suppose." Urd shrugged. "I told them. We're…kinda unsure how to deal with it."

Hild smiled. It was nice to see her daughter finally opening up and seeking support from her sisters; after being shunned because of her half-demon, half-divine heritage, it had become natural for her to recluse herself.

"How's Ranma?" Belldandy's question surprised Hild. As far as she knew, neither Belldandy nor Skuld had had much contact with the pigtailed young man.

"He's doing well. I have it on good authority that he'll be back to his stubborn, obnoxious self shortly."

"Can we visit him?" Both Urd and Hild turned around as Skuld spoke for the first time other than an apology for Banpei's attack.

"Why?" The question came out of Hild's mouth before she could stop herself. Urd and Belldandy wanting to visit the boy was understandable – Urd knew him fairly well, and Belldandy had met him often enough to be concerned about his well-being; then again, Belldandy was concerned about **everyone's** well-being.

Skuld blinked at the counter-question. "I-" She struggled with words for a moment, before giving up and hanging her head. "Forget I asked."

"No, we can go visit him, I just wanted to know why you asked. I understand why your sisters would, but you only met him once, and briefly at that." Hild noted with amusement that Urd was just as confused as she was, while Belldandy seemed to know something, or at least had a guess.

"I don't know…I guess, I just want to meet him, okay? "

"What Skuld is trying to say, I think," Belldandy added, "is that from what Urd told us, Ranma-kun has suffered quite a bit, and we all would like to see how he is doing, and offer our condolences."

"Sure, kid," Hild smiled. "That can be arranged."

V---------------------V

"Howard-san, you have a visitor."

Geese frowned. He was willing to bet good money that it was either of the Bogard brothers – after all, they broke into his office often enough back in Southtown. Not that he could begrudge them that, he did, after all, kill their father, and he was intimately familiar with the concept of revenge.

What annoyed him to no end, however, was that Andy Bogard couldn't even come close to hitting him, and while Terry had gotten much, much stronger, for some reason Geese had lost interest in fighting him. There were more pressing concerns he had to consider, like the divorce papers his wife, Marie, was currently in the process of filing.

She had apparently had had enough of his reputation as a brutal crime lord, and with a heavy sigh he admitted he had been neglecting both her and her son. He should never had let it come this far, he admitted to himself, that his quest for finding and fighting stronger and stronger opponents led him to forget about his family.

Now that the deed was done, he was pulling the reins as hard as he could, trying to turn the train around, but deep down he knew it was already far too late. He'd known it was too late the night Marie had told him Terry Bogard had come for a visit and told her quite a few things about him.

It was sad, really. After Marie had kicked him out of the house, Billy had informed him that Terry was spending more and more time with Rock. More time than he, Geese, ever had. He had pretty much given up on ever getting her back, instead, throwing himself into organizing the next King of Fighters tournament in the hope to forget about it in the heat of battle.

However, the person walking through the doors was not Terry Bogard. In hindsight, Geese should have suspected something was odd the moment he didn't hear the usual sounds of gratuitous violence from the usual fight between Billy and Terry. The crimelord arched an eyebrow when Ranma walked in. The pigtailed young man strode forward with a sureness and confidence that caused Geese to smirk inwardly. That boy would make for a good fight.

"What can I do for you?" He steepled his fingers as he braced his elbows on his desk.

"I want a rematch."

Geese shrugged. "There's always the tournament."

Ranma matched his smirk. "Yes, but who's to say you're going to make it to the finals?"

"Who's to say you're going to make it? You're still one short."

"Not anymore." Ranma was positively grinning now. "How about it? Just you and me, and we'll finish what we started in the dojo."

Geese thought about it for a moment. It was a tempting offer, a one-on-one fight with someone he had handpicked to send an invitation to, and for good reason. Now that the boy had apparently recovered from whatever funk he had been in, he should be much more of a challenge. Geese could see it in his eyes. They were alive and burning brightly with a keen desire to fight.

"How about-" He was about to make his counter-offer when the doors burst open again, and a rapid series of ki-blasts tore through the newly-made hole, heading straight for Geese's desk.

The two leapt apart, allowing the energy blasts to pass in between them harmlessly, unless you counted the obliterated desk. Geese smirked. This particular attack, he knew, though he wouldn't have expected Terry Bogard to start throwing around ki-blasts in a busy office building.

However, the man walking through the blasted remains of the door was not quite what Geese had expected. Usually the elder Bogard was relatively calm in stating his challenge, but this time Geese could see nothing but hatred burning in his blue eyes. They were expressionless, except for this one emotion, and the crime lord instinctively found himself backing up.

Behind Terry, Geese could see the charred remains of what had been hired security guards. They weren't moving, but he could still feel their ki. Despite the warning signals his brain was sending, he straightened, sliding into his favored defensive stance. "So, what brings you here this time, Terry?" His smirk lacked the usual bravado.

"Your death." Terry's voice was deathly quiet, but to Geese, it seemed to echo impossibly loud in the room. For one of the few times in his life, he admitted to himself, he was frightened. This was not the regular Terry Bogard. Something had to have happened in the week since he had last seen him.

Ranma, likewise, eyed the younger blonde warily. Like Geese, he could feel the hatred rolling off Terry in waves, and he shuddered involuntarily. This was worse than Ryoga at his lowest. What struck Ranma, however, was the change in Terry's eyes; they held a bloodlust he had only seen a few times before, on those handful of opponents he had been forced to fight to the death. It was the desire to kill, without remorse or regret. He didn't really seem to regret almost burning the two guards outside to death, Ranma mused.

No, this wasn't Terry Bogard at all. This was some devil who'd taken his form.

"Couldn't wait till the tournament, eh, Bogard?"

Ranma turned around at Geese's voice. He could see the older man was more than a little afraid of the sudden change in Terry's behavior, but their only answer was a wave of energy speeding towards them as Terry slammed his fist into the ground with a cry of "_Power Geysir_!"

Ranma soon found that jumping back wasn't an option. The pigtailed martial artist's back hit the back wall of the office, and the wave continued to race towards both him and Geese, expanding in size as it went.

_That's gonna hurt_, he thought, crossing his arms and pooling his ki into a shield before him. He could easily feel the massive amounts of power that radiated off the attack, and it dwarfed any ki-blast he had ever thrown except the ones he had summoned on Jusendo.

He was still braced for the impact when his senses tingled with a new energy springing up before him, just moments before he heard Geese's roar.

"_Raging Storm_!" The dark blue ki flared upwards, wild ribbons slashing into the air around the crime lord, warring with Terry's _Power Geysir_, until, with a blinding flash, the two attacks cancelled, leaving a drained Geese kneeling on the ground where he had unleashed his technique.

Ranma eyed the elder Bogard nervously. That massive attack must have taxed his opponent's energy reserves heavily, but it wouldn't do to dismiss his enemy just because he was tired. In fact, Ranma had to duck and roll under a flying kick that broke through the plaster wall behind him, exposing the next room over. The pigtailed martial artist rolled to his feet, falling back into a defensive stance as Terry rose from the rubble.

"What's with you, man? Snap out of it!"

The reply he got was a rapid series of punches as the blonde man charged towards him, forcing Ranma to flip out of the way. The pigtailed martial artist frowned as he spun in mid-air as a snap-kick clipped him. He grabbed a hold of the offending leg and, using it as leverage, propelled himself over Terry in a somersault.

The back kick Ranma snapped out as he landed staggered the blonde forward, and both spun around to face each other. Before Ranma could move, Geese slid in behind Terry, kicking his legs out from under him. Before either could take advantage of the situation, however, Geese flew straight up into the air as Terry connected with his trademark move.

"_Rising Tackle_!"

Ranma gaped as the crime lord was sent airborne. _He recovered fast!_ Shaking himself out of his stupor, the pigtailed boy rushed in, hoping to catch Terry off-balance. The rising kick Ranma launched himself into angled in towards the other man's turned back. Ranma barely had time to turn his grin into a frown when he saw Terry begin to flip in the air, and then his world spun out of control.

The pigtailed boy careened away from Terry's counter, crashing into the remnants of the heavy wooden desk Geese had been using. Ranma rose from the broken wood, shaking the cobwebs from his head as his eyes narrowed at his opponent. _He's pushing it. _"_Moko Takabisha_!"

The ki-blast slammed into the elder Bogard, sending him flying out of the hole that had once been the door to the office. Ranma bolted past a rising Geese, intent on pressing his advantage, only to flip out of the way of Terry's return attack. The ki wave travelled along the ground, passing by underneath him as Ranma took to the air. The pigtailed martial artist allowed himself a satisfied smirk when Terry leapt up to meet him.

"_Kachuu Tenshin Amaguriken_!"

Terry found himself bombarded by hundreds of punches as he crashed back into the ground. Ranma twisted in mid-air as he came down, his fist glowing with his ki. _Let's see if it works,_ he thought.

Geese was about to rush the downed Terry when a massive explosion forced him to shield his eyes.

"_Kama Itachi_!" The whirlwind of energy that exploded around Ranma as he slammed his fist into the ground next to Terry could easily rival that of Geese's own _Raging Storm_ as, impossibly, the wind in the lobby picked up to near-hurricane levels and waves of ki pulsed off the pigtailed boy.

After a minute, the glow faded, and Geese lowered the hand he had been shielding his eyes with, to see Ranma standing over Terry's unconscious body. The Japanese boy turned around at him and grinned.

"I've been saving it for our rematch," he chuckled, "but I figure it was worth it." When Geese said nothing, Ranma laughed. "Wish I had a camera. That look on your face is priceless."

Geese managed to close his mouth, shaking his head in amazement that this boy had somehow managed to emulate the succession technique of the Hakkyosaiken Ryu. Both of them turned their attention to Terry when he groaned and sat up.

"What the heck hit me?" The blonde rubbed the back of his head as he stood, then looked around him in confusion. "What the heck happened here?"

Ranma glanced around the destruction the fight had caused. "Dunno. You kinda went nuts and tried to kill him." The pigtailed martial artist jabbed a thumb over his shoulder at Geese. "Now that you're back to normal, mind telling us why you went on a murdering rampage?"

Terry's eyes widened in horror. "Dear God…what have I done?"

V---------------------V

"**That** is your idea of a succession technique?" Ranma felt for Terry, he really did. After four years he still hadn't completely gotten over the fact that he had killed in anger. He'd learned to live with it, sure, but that didn't mean he had to like it. At Terry's explanation, however, he had to shake his head.

"What in the world possessed you to go and try something so stupid?" Apparently, Geese didn't have quite as much trouble voicing his opinion. "There is a reason Tung Fu Rue didn't teach you the entirety of the Hakkyosaiken Ryu."

The younger blonde hung his head. "I didn't think it'd end up like this. I thought maybe I'd just-"

"The Hakkyosaiken Ryu is powered by dark ki," Geese interrupted roughly. "You're almost completely incompatible with dark ki, because you don't have the mindset for it. You can't generate ki based off of negative emotions, it's almost as good as poison for you. What you saw is the result."

"You mean he lost control and went nuts because he tried to use the same negative-emotion based ki you're using?" Ranma frowned, glad that both of them were considerate enough to hold their conversation in Japanese. He was fluent enough in English, but he appreciated the gesture nontheless.

Geese nodded. "That's essentially right."

"Wait, why are you even using emotion-based ki? It's not nearly as powerful if you need emotions to generate it."

The crime lord stared at Ranma for a moment. "If you don't let it control you, you'd be surprised how strong it can be. That pure ki you're referring to is what Bogard's trying to achieve, to become one with the Earth."

The pigtailed martial artist stared back until Geese smirked. "What?" Ranma blinked, slightly annoyed at the older man's quick change in demeanor.

"It's got a lot to do with a lot of stuff I don't particularly care to get into, so don't worry about it, kid." Geese turned towards Terry. "Look, Terry, we may not get along particularly well, but at least take this advice from me: don't try and use a power that's so obviously incompatible with something you believe in." His expression softened somewhat. "Even I can see how much killing those two men out there hurt you."

"I thought you wanted me dead?" Terry frowned. "Why not just let my own technique kill me?"

Geese chuckled. "I think all that negative ki is still scrambling your head. You came here looking for a fight, forcing me and the kid here to fight back." He shot a pointed look at Ranma, who merely shrugged, having correctly interpreted it as "We'll talk later."

"Besides, I never wanted you dead," Geese continued.

"What?"

Geese stood, moving over to look out the window of his temporary office. "You're the closest thing Rock has to a father figure right now. I'm not going to take that away from him."

"What?"

"You heard right. Just because I don't live with Marie and Rock doesn't mean I don't know what's going on around them. Marie probably hates me, but I won't just abandon them."

"What?" Terry's mouth hung agape.

Geese turned around, a sour look on his face. "I don't like repeating myself. I still love Marie and Rock. Killing you would achieve nothing but hurt them. Period." His eyes narrowed, and Terry gulped inadvertently, knowing that if he brought up the subject again he would be pummeled rather painfully.

"I don't really know what's going on," Ranma mused from the sidelines as he watched, "but maybe you should take your own advice." He stared pointedly at Geese.

"What exactly do you mean by that, kid?" The older blonde's voice took on a dangerous undertone.

Ranma merely smirked. "You're wallowing. Someone once told me feeling sorry for yourself isn't going to help anyone. As long as you can still fight, get up and fight. I'm thinking if you really want your wife and son back, go talk to them and get them back."

"You don't understand, boy." Geese sneered. "It's a little late for that."

"Never too late to teach an old dog new tricks." Ranma grinned. "I'm betting ya that if you legitimized your business and actually spent time with them, you might have a much easier time getting her back." The pigtailed martial artist made a note to thank Nabiki for digging up as much information about her new business partner as she could.

"Besides," the Saotome youth added, "if she married you in the first place, she can't really have been the kinda person to carry about someone's past."

"He's right, you know," Terry added. "Marie's been missing you, but she's almost as stubborn as you."

Ranma slid off the table he'd been sitting on. "Looks like we'll have our rematch some other time." He waved at the two as he walked out of the office. "It's always worth to try," he shot over his shoulder, leaving the two men lost in thought.

V---------------------V

"Ranma?" Said pigtailed martial artist turned around at the sound of the female voice.

"Come in, Shampoo."

The lavender-haired amazon closed the door behind her, then sank down to sit on the ground next to him, hefting a small jewelry box. "This for you."

"What is it?" Ranma arched an eyebrow, not really sure what to make of this.

Shampoo placed the box in his lap before following his stare out the window. "Great-grandmother wanted you to have these. They're some of our family heirlooms. She said it would be something to remember her by, in case she…died."

Ranma slowly looked down, his fingers playing over the smooth wood of the simple box. _Cologne…_his mind wandered to the ancient woman for a moment. _I hope you're smiling down at us, wherever you are, granny._ Taking a deep breath, he opened the latch and flipped the lid. The moment he caught sight of what was inside, the tears he had been fighting so hard to hold back spilled over, dropping onto the red velvet that lined the inside of the box.

Inside was the single most beautifully crafted ring he had ever seen. A slender gold band was dotted with a mosaic of gems that glittered in a myriad of colors in the sunlight.

"This is…"

Shampoo nodded. "This is great-grandmother's wedding ring. She wanted you and Kasumi to have it."

"Thanks, Shampoo." His eyes never left the ring inside the box. Wordlessly, he placed an arm around Shampoo's shoulders, pulling her close, knowing without having to look that she, too, was shedding tears.

After what seemed like a small eternity in companionable silence, he finally rose and took the ring out of the box, placing it in his pocket. "Let's not keep the old ghoul waiting for the show in the afterlife, then."

Shampoo trailed behind him as he walked through the house, passing through the living room, the kitchen, across the yard and into the dojo, and back into the house. With a glance at the clock, he chuckled as he realized where Kasumi would be at this time of the day.

Stepping through the sliding doors into the backyard, he vaulted himself up onto the roof and raced off towards the market. Shampoo smiled at his speed, but frowned when she began falling behind. The amazon pushed herself harder, if she was late, she'd miss the show!

Nerima's marketplace was usually busy around noon time, but after that, things began calming down, since most people had to return to work, or home. Kasumi picked this time to stroll through the market because it gave her time to pick out the best she could find from the various stalls without having a throng of people around to rush her.

She was, as usual, picking out fresh vegetables and indulging her usual conversation with the man who owned the stand when a sudden red-and-black blur fell from the sky to land next to her. Kasumi only took a single glance to know who it was – after all, there was only one roof-hopping person who wore that kind of color combination.

"Good afternoon, Ranma-kun," she greeted her fiancee. "How did things go with Howard-san?"

"Not bad. Didn't get to have the rematch, but not bad either way." Ranma straightened from the crouch he had landed in, and looked up. To her surprise, Kasumi could see he had been crying.

Ranma noticed and quickly wiped at the tear tracks on his face, before giving up and shrugging. "Been thinking about Cologne," he told her in ways of an explanation.

"Ranma-kun-"

He waved her off. "It's all right. Just remembering some of the fun times we had." He turned towards the vendor, and grinned. "Mind if I borrow my fiancee for a second?"

"Not at all." The vendor, a burly but friendly man named Koichi, smiled. He'd gotten to know Ranma pretty well over the last three years. Kasumi usually talked about him when she came to buy vegetables, and he often accompanied her when she went shopping. He held a great deal of respect for the pigtailed young man, after what he had heard from Kasumi.

"Actually, mind if I borrow you, too?" Ranma's grin turned positively devious.

"Huh?"  
"Just play witness a sec, okay?"

Koichi nodded, unsure of what was going on. His eyes lit up in understanding, however, when Ranma dropped to one knee in front of Kasumi.

"Tendo Kasumi-" the pigtailed boy began, when a a female voice shouted from above.

"Ranma wait!" Shampoo tumbled from the nearest roof as she stumbled in her mad dash across the rooftops to keep up with him.

The amazon righted herself in mid-air and landed lightly on her feet. "Ranma no start without Shampoo!" She finally noticed everyone giving her weird glances and blushed. "Uh…Ranma go tell Kasumi now?"

Ranma chuckled at her antics, before resuming where he'd left off. "Tendo Kasumi, the last three years of my life have been wonderful with you by my side. You were the first person to care for me when I arrived in Nerima. You were my first friend. You cared for me, healed my scrapes and bruises, but most importantly, you listened to me. You've done more for me than I could ever hope to repay. You tried to help me when all I did was push you away, and you stuck by my side through all the chaos that's come into my life."

He took a deep breath reaching into his pocket, and pulled out the ring. "What I'm trying to say, Kasumi, is…we've been engaged for three years now, and known each other even longer. Will you marry me?"

A small crowd had gathered around the two fiancees by the end of Ranma's proclamation. Most of them knew the pigtailed martial artist, or at least knew about him, and all of them knew Kasumi, and all of them heartily approved of the happy tears that were flowing down her cheeks now.

"C'mon, Kasumi, don't cry…did I say something wrong?" Of course, there was **one** person who was completely oblivious to the meaning of said tears.

"Yes, Ranma, yes!" Kasumi practically fell into his arms as she placed a long kiss on his lips.

Koichi's grin split his face as he looked on at the scene. He slowly raised his hands and started clapping. Within moments, the entire square was filled with thunderous applause.

Shampoo, however, ended up scratching her head in confusion. "Shampoo thought that Ranma already ask Kasumi to marry?"

"I'm thinking they just made it official." Ryoga grinned as he walked in on the square, having followed the clapping. "Looks like we'll be needing a priest soon." The lost boy left to congratulate his best friend, but ended up as usual – very, very lost.


	10. Chapter 10: For Whom the Bell Tolls

Chapter Ten: For Whom the Bell Tolls

The next few days passed in a flurry of activity as everyone prepared for the upcoming wedding. Ranma smirked as he recalled his father's expression when he and Kasumi had come home that day and announced that they were getting married in a week.

"Yo, oyaji. Call a priest," Ranma had casually tossed into the room. The effect had been immediate. Both Soun and Genma had spilled their sake all over the shogi board and whirled around at the door.

"Who are you and what have you done with my son?" Genma had asked incredulously.

Ranma, for his part, had merely shrugged and grinned. "Left him in a closet this morning. Now, you gonna call that priest and make a reservation, or not?"

"For real?" Genma and Soun broke out into fountains of tears

Nodoka, of course, had gone off into her "my son is so **manly**" speech as soon as she heard. It had taken a good hour before any of the parents had finally accepted that this was for real – he was getting married, and he was asking them to call for a priest.

Of course, Genma and Soun had wanted to go and call one right away, but one brief glance from Kasumi had them backing down from that idea on the promise of not getting any dinner for the next two weeks.

V----------------V

This being Nerima, however, nothing could go as planned. As usual. Ranma hung his head as Akane duelled Kodachi out in the backyard, Genma and Soun pummeled Kuno for trying to disrupt the wedding plans, and Iori, their temporary houseguest, continued to pester Nabiki to the point where the brunette had practically begged Ranma to knock him out or something.

Geese had shown up, too, somehow having gotten wind of the news. What had surprised Ranma was that he was accompanied by a a pretty blonde woman and an eight-year old child. Geese had looked at him and grinned.

When Ranma had shot the crime lord an inquisitive glance, Geese had shrugged, waited till no one was within earshot, and muttered his reply. "It involved a lot of grovelling."

The newly-reunited Howard family had left shortly thereafter, promising to attend the wedding. Invitations had been sent out, requiring some rather exotic deliveries from the Nerima Post Office, as some of the letters went to far-out remote locations. Of course, them being trained in martial arts speed delivery helped a great deal in making sure the invites got to their destinations in time.

Speaking of mishaps, there were more than a few occasions when Akane had tried to help out cooking when she wasn't warding off one of the Kuno siblings. It had taken Kasumi and Nodoka quite a while to dissuade her from even entering the kitchen, and the youngest Tendo daughter had then taken it upon herself to arrange decorations for the wedding that would – once more – be held in the dojo.

Two weeks after his proposal, Ranma frowned as he entered the dojo for his daily practice. He was glad Akane and Shampoo were getting along, and they had fun decorating the dojo, but this was getting a bit out of hand. He could ignore the traditional white paper streamers that hung from the beams above and around the doors, and he quite liked the blessed sutras that had been placed along the dojo walls – Kami only knew where they had gotten a priest to make them for them.

There were some pink and red and blue streamers and accompanying tinsel that hung from the rafters and in the corners of the roof that were slightly disconcerting. He didn't exactly have much experience with weddings, but he was quite sure tinsel wasn't appropriate. Then there were the light globes that hung from the ceiling that would have been more appropriate in a disco than in a dojo.

And while he liked the fact that the shrine had been moved to the far side of the dojo to act as a sort of altar, and that pictures of Cologne and Ukyo had been added to honor their memory, he was **quite** certain that the pine tree, complete with full Christmas decorations, was completely out of place.

Ranma wasn't sure whose idea that last one had been, but he made a mental note to talk to the two girls about their decorations. He tugged the rope causing Ryoga to follow him into the dojo. The lost boy had shown up the day before, and Ranma had decided he wouldn't take the chance of his best man being three weeks late to the wedding, hence the rope tied around Ryoga's waist that was permanently attached to some piece of furniture whenever he was in a room. Furniture that was, just as a precaution, bolted down to the floor.

"Is this really necessary?" Ryoga grumbled as he followed Ranma into the dojo. He felt rather ridiculous at being led around by a leash, even if he could acknowledge the fact that he probably needed it. The house had been devoid of people all morning, which was why Ranma had taken the opportunity to drag the lost boy into the dojo for a sparring session. It didn't particularly concern the pigtailed boy, since the wedding was scheduled for the next day, and he assumed everyone was out finishing last-minute preparations. The pigtailed boy wanted to take advantage of not feeling wedding jitters…yet. He was sure they would come tomorrow at the most inopportune time.

Ryoga had agreed all too quickly, considering the fact that he had been getting bored stiff all morning, tied to the couch in the living room as it was.

The dojo was dark as Ranma entered, which was strange because the window blinds were shut and the only light fell in from the open door as he slid it aside. Behind him, he didn't notice Ryoga's smug grin even as the pigtailed boy went to flip the light switch. When nothing happened, and he heard Ryoga slide the door shut behind them, he spun around in a combat stance, expanding his senses in preparation for an assault.

Before he could completely figure out what was happening, though, all of the blinds went up in one smooth motion, and a shout of "**Surprise**!" echoed in the air.

Ranma stared in shock at the people assembled in the dojo. "What's going on here?"

"This is a bachelor's party, silly!" Ryoga knocked him upside the head from behind.

"A what?"

"A bachelor's party! It's what you do the day before you get married! You celebrate your last day of freedom." Mousse poked his head out from behind an enormous cake that looked suspiciously like a certain panda.

"Mousse?" Ranma stared at the myoptic amazon. "I didn't think you'd make it. Last I heard, you were still at the Musk Citadel."

"I was. Herb showed me the invitation, and flew us both over." Mousse grinned. "I wouldn't miss this for the world."

"I'm just glad there's no girls for them to oogle this time around. I'm serious, their behavior is utterly embarassing for me." The ruler of the Musk sighed as he shook Ranma's hand, indicating at Mint and Lime who were flanking him on either side.

Ranma smirked. "Good to see you, Herb."

"What about me, Saotome?"

"Saffron! Man, you came, too?"

"Of course." The phoenix god snorted. "You sent me an invitation, did you not?"

"Hey, fem-boy!"

"You, I could have done without," Ranma jested as he shook Taro's hand. "By the way," he noted, retrieving a scroll from hidden weapons space. "Here. Show it to Happosai whenever you see him and get him to change your name."

"What's this?" Taro took the scroll, unrolling it.

"Just his agreement to change your name to whatever you want, no strings attached." Ranma grinned. "It took me a while, but I managed to 'convince' him that it was better for his health."

"Cool! I might just stop calling you 'fem-boy' for this!" Taro's grin split his face as he pocketed the scroll.

"Speaking of the old pervert…" Ranma turned to Ryoga. "I sure as hell hope you didn't invite him."

"Well…"

"You didn't, did you?"

"Uh…"

"Ryoga…" Ranma's voice took on a dangerous undertone.

"Now wait, Ranma-"

"Did you invite him?"

"I'm your best friend, remember? You don't kill your best friend!" Ryoga's face took on a panicked look.

"No, but I'll seriously maim you if you say what I think you're gonna say."

"Well, he's not here, is he?" Ryoga, knowing that he couldn't lie to save his life, much like his pigtailed rival, sighed in relief when the noncommital answer seemed to pacify the pigtailed martial artist.

A small boom behind all of the men caused them to turn around in surprise, just in time to catch sight of five new arrivals as the smoke parted. "Oh, how cute! A bachelor's party!"

Ranma's eyes widened. "Urd! Belldandy-san, Skuld-san! Keiichi!"

"And lil' old me." Ranma nearly choked as he heard the seductive voice. Hild stepped forward, running a finger along his jawline. "Since it's your last day as a free man, mind indulging lil' me?"

The assembled group broke out into laughter at the Saotome youth's beet-red face. Hild shrugged. "Oh well, can't win them all." She moved on to Ryoga. "How about you, cutie?" Ryoga did what he always did when confronted with an attractive woman – he fainted with a nosebleed.

Ranma glanced down, and snickered. "The more things change…"

"Oh phoey. Why can't I ever get one of the decent guys?" Hild grinned when the rest of the male populace in the room stiffened in indignation. "Oh, calm down you guys. Seriously, kids these days. No sense of humor."

Uncharacteristically, Urd snickered at her mother's joke. "Hey, kiddo," she greeted Ranma softly. He returned the silver-haired goddess's smile.

"Hey, Urd. How ya doing?"

The goddess grinned. "I've been good. So, you finally popped the question, eh?"

Ranma nodded, then turned and offered the remaining two goddesses a curt bow. "Hello, Belldandy-san, Skuld-san."

"It's good to see you, Ranma-kun." Belldandy smiled at him, before nudging her younger sister.

"Hi, Ranma," Skuld muttered. She barely remembered the pigtailed boy from when he had stormed the temple four years ago to save her and her sisters from a demon's evil clutches. Of course, things hadn't been quite that melodramatic, but it had been hard to forget him anyway, with Urd going off to fight the battle at Jusenkyo not long afterwards.

"Ranma-san." Keiichi glanced around the room, distinctly reminded of the parties the Nekomi Tech Motor Club usually threw over at Chihiro's place after a competition.

"So, you guys going to be staying till the wedding tomorrow?" Ranma grinned as he went over to a crate in the corner and pitched them all a bottle of water.

"Of course." Urd grinned as she caught her bottle. "Wouldn't miss it for anything, kiddo. What's this?" She glanced down at her catch, and frowned in disgust. "What, no sake?"

"Urd!" Belldandy chastised her.

The elder goddess shrugged. "Hey, this is a party, right? No party's a real party without booze."

"Right." Hild snapped her fingers, and a row of sake caskets appeared at the far wall of the dojo, next to Ranma. "Now," the demoness smirked. "Let's get this party started, right?"

"Boobs!" At the dual shout, Herb began banging his head against the wall.

"So much for good behavior," the Musk prince muttered.

A quick set of lightning bolts left the prince's two retainers twitching on the ground, and Urd kicked the near-unconscious Mint once more for good measure for trying to grope her. Ranma merely shrugged, used to the antics of these two.

"At least it can't get any worse," he muttered.

"**SWEETO**!"

"Me and my big mouth." Ranma joined Herb in banging his head against the wall.

V----------------V

In the meantime, Kasumi was wondering why Nodoka was dragging her all the way across town to a pub. After all, the wedding was tomorrow, and there were so many things that had to be done until then.

"Auntie, are you sure we have time for this?"

Nodoka smiled at the young woman. "Of course, Kasumi-chan. Relax. Everything's been prepared already, there's no need to worry."

"If you say so." Kasumi frowned. "But are you sure it's proper for us to go out to a bar?"

"Kasumi, Kasumi…" Nodoka sighed. "You've got to loosen up." _Of course,_ Nodoka mused, _it took my son and his friends quite a while to convince _me _to "loosen up," as well._

Kasumi smiled at the older woman, shrugging her shoulders. "All right, I'll try, Auntie."

"Are you nervous?"

Kasumi blinked in surprise at the sudden question. It took her a moment to search her own feelings, and formulate her answer. "No."

"No?" Nodoka arched an eyebrow. She herself had gone through the day before her wedding a nervous wreck, and she had yet to hear of a single woman who wasn't at some point before the wedding. Kasumi, however, had remained perfectly calm throughout the two weeks of preparation for the big day tomorrow, something that utterly confused Nodoka. _Maybe she doesn't want to get married to Ranma after all? _the Saotome matriarch asked herself.

_No_. A quick glance at Kasumi revealed that that was, in fact, not the case. _She does want to get married to him. _"Why not?"

Kasumi shrugged. "Is there something I should be concerned about, Auntie?" When the older woman failed to answer, Kasumi continued. "You said it yourself. Everything's being taken care of. Of course I look forward to tomorrow, and I'm happier than I've felt in my whole life that Ranma-kun asked me to marry him, but I don't fear it. There's nothing to be nervous about. Your son is a wonderful person, and I have absolute confidence that he will do everything in his power to make things go right."

Nodoka saw the utter conviction in Kasumi's eyes, and relented with a smile. "It's heartening to see you place so much trust in my son, Kasumi-chan."

"He has never let me down, Auntie. He won't start now. Besides, nothing much will change once we are married. He will still live with us, and he will still care for us the same as always – the only exception is, that we are now officially bound together."

"Now that you put it like that…you're probably right, Kasumi-chan." Nodoka sighed. "I'm glad to see my son has grown up to be such a good man." The redhead stopped walking when they reached their destination. "In here, Kasumi-chan."

Kasumi entered the dimly lit pub, finding it somewhat different than what she had imagined. Never having gone to an actual pub, she imagined it much like a bar, with hazy air thick with cigarette smoke and drunk patrons passed out over the counter. What she found instead was something that seemed to have been transposed straight out of a local pub in Ireland. A cozy atmosphere with light-hearted music greeted her, and while the light was dim, it was tastefully so. Small booths lined the walls for privacy, a pool table in the center of what she assumed was a dance floor at night, and a clean-shaven bartender behind a polished counter with a friendly smile.

The pub was currently devoid of patrons, except for the group sitting around the counter. At the sound of the door creaking open, their heads turned around silmultaneously and Kasumi walked into a veritable storm of confetti and paper streamers.

"Surprise!" the combined voices of all present women shouted.

"Shampoo? Nabiki-chan, Akane-chan? Setsuna-san?" Kasumi stood in mute shock, much like her fiancee was standing before a different group, in a different place, at the same time.

"Well, Kasumi, aren't you going to go sit down?" Nodoka asked from behind the eldest Tendo daughter in an amused voice. "This is, after all, your party."

"Party?" Kasumi had never been to one of those outside of her home, and those were usually birthday parties for her sisters and Christmas parties for everyone she knew.

Behind them, the door opened again, and everyone turned to face the new arrival. "Sorry I'm late-" He stared at Kasumi in surprise. "Looks like I'm too late for the surprise."

"Tofu-sensei!" Kasumi beamed at the doctor.

"It's been a while since we've seen each other, Kasumi." The doctor smiled. It had taken some work over the last few years, but he had finally gotten over his issues with the young woman. Of course, in that time, he had also watched as she and Ranma grew closer together, and more than once had he harbored thoughts of moving in and breaking them up.

They had never come to fruition, however, once he had seen how happy Kasumi was with Ranma, and so he had decided – after **much** consideration – to yield to the better man. Of course, he had ended up giving Ranma the same lecture about not hurting Kasumi ever that everyone else in Nerima had, and there had been a substantial amount of tension between the doctor and the pigtailed martial artist for quite a while, but that had passed a while ago. Honestly, Tofu admitted to himself, he missed the pigtailed boy's company. He was a refreshing change from the rest of his daily routine.

"What is this?" Kasumi stared around her in wonder, taking in the fully decorated pub. Fortunately for her, the decorations were done much more tastefully than those in the dojo.

"It's your bachelorette party, of course." Nabiki smirked as he handed Kasumi a cocktail. "We celebrate your last day as a free woman, get totally wasted, loose your virginity to some random guy in the bar, wake up with a huge hangover, and make it so we have to race to the wedding with five minutes to spare."

Akane elbowed her older sister in the stomach. "Don't listen to her, Kasumi-oneechan. We just wanted you to have fun once, and celebrate the wedding while we're at it."

"Shampoo no think of better reason for party," the perky amazon chimed in. "Well, except maybe Ranma lay Shampoo."

The room erupted into laughter at the joke, and the party was in full swing.

V----------------V

Ranma woke to a strange sensation. He felt as if he was floating, and almost completely detached from his body. The pigtailed martial artist slowly cracked open one eye, only to snap it shut again as the sunlight hit his retina, causing his brain to explode into excruciating pain. Letting out a groan of pain as the headache slowly abated, he propped himself up into a semi-sitting position.

The pigtailed boy's eyes snapped wide open when his hands touched something soft and warm. Ignoring the pain from the sudden burst of light that flooded his eyes, he looked down, already knowing what he was touching. He twitched in exhasperation, before slowly, carefully withdrawing his hand from Urd's cleavage. The silver-haired goddess sighed and shifted, trying to recover the lost touch.

Ranma held his breath as she moved, hoping against hope that the woman wouldn't wake up. When she didn't, he let out a sigh of relief, only to have it turned into horror when she reached over, clamped down on his arm, and snuggled against it. He twisted and turned, trying to get out of her hold, but the eldest Norn held on to his arm with an iron grip.

Suddenly, Ranma noticed something else. He was not wearing a shirt, or pants, or much else for that matter. Neither was, he noted with a deep blush, the silver-haired goddess lying next to him. Actually, now that he looked around the room, most of the inhabitants of the dojo were in various states of undress, and draped over one of the women, with the exception of Keiichi and Belldandy, who were conspiciously absent.

"Oh…what hit me?"

Ranma's attention shot back to the woman holding on to his arm, before his brain caught up and told him she was naked, causing him to look up at the ceiling.

"Hm…comfy." Urd yawned, opening her eyes. "What the-" her gaze wandered up Ranma's naked torso, then around the room, taking in the empty sake bottles that littered the ground.

"Oh."

"Uh…did we…you know?" Ranma stammered, praying to whatever god would listen. Kasumi was going to kill him.

"Hm…" Urd placed a finger under her chin contemplatively. "I don't remember. From the amount of booze around here, I'd probably say there's a good chance that a lot of people got laid."

"Urk!"

She grinned, placing a hand on his shoulder, and cast a quick spell that placed them both in their trademark clothing. "No worries, kiddo. You didn't do anything. Well, except give us all quite the show when you stripped."

"Wha-?" Ranma glared at her, causing the goddess to chuckle.

"Don't worry about it, we were all drunk. I doubt anyone even remembers." Urd shrugged, hiding a smile behind her hand.

"Except for you, obviously," Ranma remaked dryly.

"Here, let me sober you up." She muttered another spell that rid them both of the effects of the hangover, and Ranma's eyes snapped wide open when the refreshing spell kicked in.

"What time is it?" His voice took a panicked tinge when he remembered the date.

"Hmm…" Urd glanced around the dojo, looking for a clock even as the people around them stirred from their alcohol-induced slumber. Unable to find one, she snapped her fingers and an antique pocket watch appeared in her hands. "Eleven fourty-five."

"Bloody hell!" Ranma bolted to his feet as he raced around the room, shaking the men awake. Urd took a moment to realize why he was in such a hurry, then she went off to wake the other two women in the room.

"Screw this, I gotta go get changed!" Ranma gave up shaking Ryoga awake, racing from the dojo to change into a tuxedo.

Urd was about to give up waking her sister and mother, as well, when two people appeared behind her. "Got some trouble there, Urd?" Mara grinned. "You had a party and didn't invite me? I'm hurt!"

"C'est la vie," Peorth muttered. "Why not just cast a refreshing spell over zis cabin?"

Urd shot her fellow goddess a dirty glance. "And you reckon you can come up with a strong enough refreshing spell to wake them all, including the runt and my mother, and fix this place up in…" she glanced at her pocket watch. "Eleven minutes?"

"Sacre bleu! Mistress Hild is here?" Peorth glanced around the room. "And zis room is a mess!"

Mara giggled. "Well, you always did know how to throw parties. And after all, like daughter, like mother, right?"

"All four of us can do it." Belldandy smiled at the two new arrivals from the door. "Keiichi and I ran into Ranma-kun in the guest room. Kasumi-san and her party are not back yet, either, but we should hurry."

Urd nodded, and together, the three goddesses began their song. Mara stared at them in surprise; the melody was wonderful, and even though each sang in her own distinctive way, Belldandy's ever-present happiness, Peorth's passion, and Urd's harmony melded together into a song capable of wiping away all anger, all fear, and leave behind nothing but contentment. It took her a moment, but at Urd's beckon, Mara joined her half-sister and her fellow goddesses in the spell. Together, the quartet only took a minute to finish the spell, and when the song ended, Mara felt she knew why Belldandy smiled so often and so brilliantly.

All over the room, people began to stir. Urd, despite the fact that she would have loved to see their reactions when they woke, had had the foresight to hex them all into clothes first.

"Are they awa-" Ranma stopped dead in his tracks when almost the whole room surged to its feet, rushing out the door and trampling the pigtailed martial artist under their feet. Keiichi, who had been walking behind Ranma, wisely moved out of the way of the mob.

He reached down, helping Ranma back to his feet while the Saotome youth dusted off his clothes, trying to rid the tuxedo of the numerous footprints on it.

"Here, let me take care of that." Urd reached over, snapped her fingers, and his tuxedo was once more pristine.

"Thanks, Urd." Ranma glanced around the newly refurnished dojo. "How in the world did you manage to wake them all? And how the heck did you guys fix up the dojo so quickly?"

Urd grinned, casually flicking her long silver hair over her shoulder. "Not hard, with three goddesses and a demon first class."

"M-Mara?" Keiichi took one look at the demoness and dashed behind Belldandy.

"Sheesh, calm down, kid," the blonde demoness grumbled. "I don't always cause trouble, you know."

"I remember you, I think," Ranma noted as he stared at Mara. He dug through his memory. "Hey, weren't you at the temple that one time? You're the chick with the warhammer!"

Lightning crackled in Mara's hands as she glared at the pigtailed boy. "What did you call me?"

"That was so cool! You gotta teach me how to do that sometime!" Ranma smiled at her. "But please, don't let Akane see that!"

"Huh?" The fight left Mara as quickly as it had come as she stared at him in confusion.

"Don't worry," Urd told her. "You'll get used to it. He doesn't mean the 'chick' thing that way, you know. He's never been taught otherwise, but he's getting better."

Belldandy pulled Peorth to the front. "Oh, how rude, let me introduce you." She indicated her fellow goddess. "Ranma-kun, this is Peorth. She's a friend of ours. Peorth, this is Ranma-kun."

"Pleasure ta meetcha." Ranma shook her hand.

"Ze pleasure is all mine," Peorth grinned.

"Come to think of it, what **are** the two of you doing here, anyway?" Urd asked the two newcomers.

"No one was at the temple, and H-sama mentioned there being a party somewhere, so I just followed her." Mara shrugged. "Hey, even I need a vacation sometime. Maybe we should hit the hotsprings again. We had a ton of fun last time."

"I remember the karaoke duel." Urd grinned.

"I beat your ass flat in that one." Mara copied her half-sister's grin.

"In your dreams, sister."

"My dreams, your nightmare."

"You're on!"

"Bring it!"

Ranma stared at the two for a moment, before turning to Belldandy. "Are they always like this?"

"Yes." The brunette smiled as she leaned into Keiichi. "They're very good friends, though, despite what it looks like."

"I can believe that," Ranma shook his head. "Me and Ryoga are exactly the same."

"Speaking of Ryoga…" Keiichi glanced down at his watch. "Isn't it about time everyone got here? It's noon already."

As if on cue, the dojo doors slid open, and Genma and Soun rushed in carrying the priest. Nodoka was close behind, ushering in all the guests, while Skuld was trying to keep Ryoga walking in a straight line towards Ranma.

Genma set the flustered priest down at the makeshift altar and Soun handed him a well-worn scroll that contained the prayer text he had tried so many times to finish before. The two fathers took their places with the remainder of the guests as the dojo filled up and everyone finally took their seats on chairs that had magically appeared out of thin air.

Ranma took absent notice of this fact, and made a mental note to thank whichever goddess or demon had had the foresight to provide sitting implements. Digging his hand into his hidden weapons space, he withdrew a matched set of rings he had been saving for the last few years. The pigtailed boy handed them to the priest, who nodded, stared the Saotome youth in the eye as if to ask him "are you sure you're going through with it this time?" and placed them on the shrine after he had apparently read a satisfactory answer in Ranma's eyes.

The room was silent for a few moments as everyone awaited the arrival of the bride. Soun had left to look for his daughter. Minutes ticked by, and still no one walked through the dojo doors. The priest cast Ranma an inquisitive glance, only to find that the pigtailed martial artist was in no condition to answer any questions. The groom was locked up with anxiety, and had his fists clenched until his knuckles were white.

Ranma sent a desperate glance at his mother. Nodoka shrugged helplessly, trying to send her son a calming look. It wasn't quite necessary when the dojo doors slid open again and Soun walked through, Kasumi on his arm.

Every head in the assembled crowd turned to look at the bride as her father led her through the rows of seats, and Ranma's jaw dropped in shock. He'd always known Kasumi was beautiful, but seeing her in the white gown, with her long brown hair freely flowing down her back, reminded him of something beyond earthly beauty.

Soun stopped before the priest, letting his daughter take her place across from Ranma. The priest smiled and nodded, proceeding to offer a stick of burning incense to both Ranma and Kasumi. He turned around, reading the words on the scroll in his prayer for their ceremonial purification.

Ranma didn't hear a word of what the man was saying. All he could see, all he could stare at, were his soon-to-be wife's dark brown eyes. She was smiling, seeming not at all nervous, but he could see the almost overwhelming happiness in her eyes. He didn't know how he'd done it, but in that moment, he offered a prayer to the gods himself. _Please, whatever I've done to make her happy, let me continue doing it._

He snapped out of his thoughts when the priest appeared before him, holding a small cup filled with sake. It took the pigtailed young man a while to gather his wits, and he took the cup, taking a sip of the sake before offering it to Kasumi.

The eldest Tendo daughter watched serenely as the priest read through his ritualistic prayers. Much like Ranma, she had tuned him out in favor of looking at her future husband. She barely suppressed a giggle at how nervous Ranma seemed to be – it was an eandearing quality to him she found quite cute, much like his naivete. Nodoka's words came back to her. _Are you nervous?_ Kasumi mentally shook her head. _No, I'm not. This is what I've been waiting so long for. I'm glad he finally asked me._

When the priest offered her the ceremonial cup of sake, she took it, touching her lips to it, and offered it to Ranma. They exchanged the cups, draining the remainder of the sake. All the while, Kasumi smiled at Ranma, hoping he could see the love she had for him. They repeated the process three times, and three times again with another cup, and yet three times again for the final time, in the spirit of _sansankudo_.

Placing the six cups away, the priest removed the two rings from their place in the shrine and placed them before the couple.

Ranma forced air into his lungs as he reached out and picked one up. _This is it. For real, this time. _He glanced up at Kasumi. _I wonder if she has any reservations about it?_ He mentally shook his head. _No, she doesn't. _Their eyes met, and even as he realized she had noticed his hesitation, he could see that she wasn't at all disturbed by the fact that he was taking his time.

_She's giving me time, instead of demanding things to go on. She trusts me this much. _The Saotome heir realized with a start that this was, indeed, it. If Kasumi loved him enough to commit herself to him for life, then he could do no less. He opened his mouth, the well-practiced words forgotten as he spoke his heart.

"Kasumi…when I came to Nerima, I was a child. You were the first to show me kindness in a long time – you gave me a place to call home for the first time in ten years. It could have ended there, but you did so much more for me than that. You listened to my words and healed my soul. You helped me grow up from a child into a man. Somehow, I've always known that it would be you…that I'd fall in love with you. When I realized I did, you didn't demand I give you an answer right away. Instead, you waited for me, waited until I was ready to say it." Ranma looked up fully and smiled at her.

"I know I've made you wait, and you don't know how grateful I am that you did, but I am finally ready to say it. I love you, Tendo Kasumi, and I swear that I'll always be by your side. My life is yours, if you would accept it." He gently took hold of her hand, looking for permission in her eyes. When she smiled at him and gave an almost imperceptible nod, his eyes lit up in joy, and he slipped the ring on her finger.

Kasumi barely managed to hold back the tears as she felt his hands slide the ring on her left hand. She picked up its twin, her eyes never leaving Ranma's as she spoke.

"Saotome Ranma, when I met you, I believed you were immature and childish. Yet as I watched you live and battle, I realized that you were also good at heart, and brave, and loyal. Never once have I seen you take the easy way out, and never once have I seen you act selfishly when more than your pride was at stake. You forgave those who wronged you, and helped friends and enemies alike. And when I listened to you, I realized the burden that is on your shoulders. It seemed impossibly heavy to me, but you kept bearing it day after day, and the only thing I could do to help was offer you a friendly word here and there. Somewhere along the way I fell in love with you, like most of the other girls." Kasumi sniffled, holding his gaze.

"When you told me you were falling in love with me, I was the happiest person in the world. I realized that I want to be there with you, there **for** you, and lighten the load you bear. I love you, Saotome Ranma, and I swear that I'll always be by your side. My life is yours, if you would accept it." She took hold of his left hand, and slowly slid the ring onto his finger.

The two of them stood, taking the twigs the priest offered them, and placed them at the altar as their offerings to the gods, before turning to face each other. Kasumi smiled at him, and Ranma could see his own happiness reflected in her eyes as he leaned down and kissed her. The two looked up in surprise, never breaking their kiss, when Urd and Skuld stood from their seats, standing behind Ranma, while Belldandy and Peorth moved to stand behind Kasumi. Together, the four goddesses prayed for a moment before their combined voices filled the dojo for the second time that day.

Briefly, the couple glowed brilliantly. Ranma, realizing what was happening, flared his aura, letting the bright gold wash around him. In his arms, Kasumi was bathed in an ethereal silver light as their the visual manifestation of their lifeforces intermingled.

It took less than a minute for the blessing to be complete, and when the song faded, the dojo broke out with thunderous applause. Urd gave Ranma a quick wink as he broke the kiss for air, and gave him a thumbs-up. Ranma smiled back.

"Oh my, it's not everyday we get a blessed wedding," Kasumi murmured into his ear.

"Nevermind by four actual goddesses," Ranma whispered back.

Urd produced a sake bottle from nowhere. "Let's party!"


	11. Chapter 11: The King of Fighters

Chapter Eleven: The King of Fighters

Ranma groaned as the deck underneath his feet swayed up and down. The pigtailed martial artist usually had no trouble with sea-sickness, but the speed at which the ship was moving was enough to make even him queasy. He snorted as the water sprayed high over the railing. After the wedding, Geese had approached him and Kasumi, and handed them passes to this ship – a modified aircraft carrier called the_Black Noah_, captained by one Rugal Berstein. The man was slicker than grease, able to talk himself out of impossible situations. In essence, Ranma mused, he was probably the personification of a modern-day rogue.

Geese had told him that the ship would drop him and Kasumi off at a location of their choice, and pick them up at a specified time. It was to be their honeymoon cruise, Geese had jested, but first there was a tournament to be held. Speaking of which, Ranma could see the floating island of Togenkyo nearing. It was their first stop, and would be the location of the first group of fights.

"It's a nice day, isn't it, Ranma-kun?"

The Saotome heir turned to his wife with a wry grin. "It'd be nice if the ship wouldn't move so much."

Kasumi gave a soft giggle at the slight green tinge on his face. She herself displayed no signs of sea-sickness, Ranma noted with envy. Then again, this was Kasumi, she was practically unshakable.

"It was nice of Howard-san and Bernstein-san to make arrangements for us to go anywhere we want after the tournament." Kasumi settled at the railing next to him. "I look forward to it."

"Yeah." Ranma smiled. "I can't wait for the tournament to be over. Just you and me, anywhere we want." He reached over and placed an arm around her waist. "I still can't believe we're actually married."

"What, you want me to show you the wedding pictures again, Saotome?" A smooth voice called out from behind them, somehow managing to carry over the roar of the sea.

The couple turned around to come face to face with a tall man in a black muscle shirt and camo pants as he climbed the stairs from below deck.

"Having memory lapses at such a young age already?" The man added with a chuckle.

"Good morning, Berstein-san," Kasumi greeted their host. The man waved it off with a roguish grin.

"No need to be so formal, Tendo-san. Call me Rugal, like everyone else does."

Ranma muttered a quick greeting, before sizing the man up. He'd only met Rugal in person once, when all the participants of the King of Fighters had boarded the _Black Noah_. The self-proclaimed "modern pirate" had only given them time for a cursory introduction, before moving on to the next team.

Rugal noticed the inspection with amusement. "I came to tell you we will be arriving at Togenkyo within the hour. Geese has already contacted Toma, so after we dock, the first fights will start."

"Where's the next stop after Togenkyo?" Ranma asked, curious as to where the rest of the fights would take place.

"Now that is a secret." Rugal smirked when Ranma groaned at the hated phrase, and in another universe, Xellos sneezed.

V-----------------------V

"Welcome to Togenkyo," Toma announced as he stood on the elevated platform the fights would take place on. "The battles for the first round of the King of Fighters tournament have been drawn, and it's my pleasure to call out the first two teams – the Hero team will be fighting the U.S.A. Sports team!"

Ranma watched in surprise as the sports team put up a strange, yet remarkably effective fight, until Kyo's _Orochinagi_ took out even Brian. The Saotome youth snorted in disgust. He made a point to make careful mental notes on each of their fighting styles, even though it seemed that it wasn't so much about skill as it was about raw power and special techniques.

Goro, who apparently had been a sumo wrestler sometime during his fighting career, seemed to rely on brute strength, especially in close-quarters, preferring devastating grappling moves. He reminded Ranma of Ryoga in that regard, though his rival wasn't nearly as tall or heavy.

Benimaru's style was flashy to the extreme, and the blonde seemed to favor spinning attacks. His ki-projection looked suspiciously like lightning, causing Ranma to grin. You didn't hang out with Urd without learning something about lightning bolts. The blonde fighter relied on his speed and agility to connect with his moves, giving power to physically weak attacks by projecting a ki-field around his fists and legs.

Kyo was the most grounded of them all. The Kusanagi heir used semi-strong, quick moves that were mostly ground-based, though he had a few jumping attacks. What caught Ranma's eye was the fact that, possibly even more than Benimaru, his attacks were physically weak, despite looking quite devastating. He seemed to rely on his blood power of the Magatama to deliver the actual damage when connecting with his attacks. Stripped of his powers, Kyo's punches would do little more than tickle Ryoga, at best.

"Next," Toma called out from the announcer's platform after Kyo and his companions had left the platform victorious, "is the Korean team, and they're up against a new team this year – please welcome the Anything Goes team!"

Ranma grinned as he took a running leap from the corridor that lead to the fighter's lounge to the platform, easily clearing the fifty or so feet. Behind him, Iori snorted as he walked the distance.

"Showoff," the Yagami heir grumbled, causing Shampoo to giggle.

V-----------------------V

Kim surveyed the young man before him. While he looked quite ordinary, there was a grace to his movements that told the Korean he was not to be underestimated. And then there was that impressive leap onto the platform, of course. He grinned. It would be fun to find out how far the boy could go.

Tanma, meanwhile, was thinking the exact same thing. He blinked in surprise when his opponent bowed to him in the traditional show of respect. Returning it reflexively, he could only grin at the older man's words.

"Let's have a good match."

V-----------------------V

Most of the veterans of the King of Fighters tournament hadn't expected too much from the new teams this year, thinking that they may become competitive within a few years after some experience with the tournament's senior participants. When they saw Iori with his two new teammates, they had naturally expected him to take on the brunt of the battles. When they saw Ranma leap into the ring against Kim, they had believed it to be a short fight; after all, no twenty-year old teenager would be able to compete with a martial arts master in his prime, no matter how skilled the boy was.

They were wrong. In the span of five minutes, Ranma had proceeded to utterly demolish the entire Korean team by himself. Kim lasted by far the longest, managing to remain standing for a full three minutes. Choi came in second, at just over a minute. Chang, the giant with the chain and ball, didn't even last a full minute against the Saotome boy.

V-----------------------V

Iori grumbled under his breath, annoyed that Ranma had proceeded to win all three battles against the Korean team by himself without giving him a chance to fight. Shampoo was similarly miffed, but had quickly forgone her annoyance in favor of watching the next match together with her pigtailed ex-fiancee.

Most of the veteran fighters had given them a wide berth when they had made their way back to the lounge. Ranma merely shrugged it off, but both Iori and Shampoo caught on to the significance of the gesture. The other fighters were still in a state of shock at the skill and strength he had demonstrated in the ring just minutes before, and while there were a handful of people who believed the boy had just lucked out, the majority of them were giving the boy their grudging respect.

"Excellent fight, my boy!" Genma crowed, nudging the man next to him in the ribs. "That's my son! I trained him myself to be the best fighter in the world!"

Ranma pointedly ignored his father, still floating on a high from his fights before. The pigtailed martial artist couldn't believe the thrill he felt from battling some of the world's most acclaimed fighters. It was a rush like no other.

The man Genma had nudged, however, did not ignore his boisterous demeanor.

"There are more than just a few strong fighters in this tournament," he told Genma. Like the elder Saotome, he was clad in a white gi, with a dojo's logo emblazoned on his left chest.

"Kyokugen-Ryu Karate?" Genma snorted. "I've never heard about you."

Takuma sneered back. "That's strange, because I thought I knew all of the strong fighters in Japan, and I've never heard the name 'Saotome' before." That wasn't entirely true. Rumors of the battles in Nerima had even reached the Kyokugen-Ryu dojo, but Takuma had dismissed most of those as blatant exaggerations; after all, it was impossible that high school kids were throwing punches at speeds that rivaled the _Zanretsu-ken_ and tossing around ki-blasts the size of Takuma's own _Haoh Shi-Kou Ken_.

The three people behind the pissed Kyokugen-Ryu master sighed in exhasperation as they greeted Iori's new teammates.

"This is a new one, Yagami," Ryo smirked. "Teaming with complete newcomers?" The blonde inheritor of the Kyokugen-Ryu commented after introductions were out of the way.

"It beats having to team with Kusanagi," Iori snorted in disgust. "Unlike him, the kid can actually fight."

"Maybe a bit too well, eh?" Robert noted, recalling how easily Ranma had dispatched the Korean team by himself.

Yuri grinned. "I'll say." Ryo's sister gave Shampoo and Iori a friendly nudge in the ribs. "You two didn't even get to go."

The amazon warrior giggled at the girl's antics. "Ranma too-too goodly martial artist. Ranma no let Shampoo fight, but take out later on date, yes?"

Her old ditzy sing-song voice coupled with the familiar words caught Ranma off guard, causing him to freeze for a moment. For a moment, he thought about stuttering around in panic for old times's sake, but he decided to smile, instead. Though it had only been a handful of years since Shampoo had come to Japan chasing after her potential husband, much had changed since then.

"Oh my, shampoo, I don't think I can let you take my husband out on a date." Kasumi wore a stern expression as she walked up behind the group. Ranma quickly found himself subject to the same look when Kasumi caught sight of his smile.

He quickly wiped it off his face. There was a jealous side to sweet, gentle Kasumi that should never be unearthed. The girl was downright frightening when provoked. "Y-yeah, I'm married now, Shampoo, remember?"

Shampoo merely pouted cutely, unperturbed by Kasumi's glare, causing the group to laugh.

"Now, if you were to take me along, it'd be an entirely different matter," Kasumi added, causing more laughter. Ranma sighed. His wife had a wicked sense of humor that, more often than not, revolved around scaring people into thinking she was angry. He chuckled; Kasumi was about as sharp with her tongue as his wit was in battle, which was one of the things he loved about her. She always knew the right thing to say.

"_Kou-Ken_!" A small explosion followed the shout, causing the entire room to turn their attention towards the commotion.

"Ha! You're too slow to hit me!" Genma crowed as he dodged two more of Takuma's ki-blasts.

The elder Sakazaki sneered as he continued to toss around projectiles. "Stand still and take it like a man, Saotome!"

"_Genma-Tama_! Ha!" The brilliant purple ki-blast exploded from Genma's hands and rocketed towards Takuma.

Caught by surprise by the fact that Genma was good enough to actually throw a ki-blast, Takuma took it square in the chest.

"Mine ball's bigger than yours!" Genma proceeded to do a silly little victory dance, with fans he got from who-knew-where, causing people left and right to drop from the sheer stupidity of the scene.

"I fight on!" Takuma suddenly stood again, striking a dramatic pose with one hand on his hip and the other raised skyward. He charged at Genma, and the two began to slug it out.

Ranma merely stared, fighting to keep his right eye from twitching. "I never thought I'd meet someone that could match oyaji's stupidity or Kuno's stubbornness."

V-----------------------V

Ranma, Kasumi, Shampoo, and Iori spent the rest of the day watching the remainder of the matches and mingling with the other participants of the tournament. Ranma found a special pleasure in watching Leona decimate Yamazaki. While it seemed the Yakuza still had his accelerated healing factor going for him, Heidern's daughter seemed to almost effortlessly dish out more damage than even Yamazaki could handle.

Ranma had grinned appreciatively as Leone, Ralph, and Clark walked off the platform victoriously. His eyes lingered on Leona as he felt something familiar about her aura, something he couldn't quite place his finger on.

"And the next fight will be between several of our veteran contestants, and a new team: Kusanagi Saisyo, Sakazaki Takuma, and Commander Heidern will be going up against-" Toma double-checked the list of participants Rugal had given him, "-against Saotome Genma, Tendo Akane, and-" Toma did a double-take at the last name on the list.

"Is he serious?" Toma turned away from the microphone as he whispered to one of his aides. The other man merely shrugged, relaying the message until it reached Rugal, who nodded in affirmative.

Toma shrugged and continued with the announcement. "As I was saying, they will be facing Saotome Genma, Tendo Akane, and, uh, The-Ultimate-Ueber-Super-Mega-Giga-Taro!" A sizeable sweatdrop developed on the heads of most people at the name. The prince of Togenkyo took it in stride. It could have been worse, after all. At least his name wasn't Pantyhose Taro, or something.

Up in the lounge, Ranma nearly fell over from shock. "Man, I don't know what's worse, his old name or his new one."

"Does it really matter as long as he likes it, son?" Nodoka elegantly hid a giggle behind the sleeve of her kimono. Just because Taro liked his new name didn't mean she couldn't find it highly amusing. The Saotome matriarch walked over to stand next to her son on the balcony that overlooked the arena.

"You think oyaji is up to this?" Ranma followed her gaze as Genma and Takuma climbed into the ring. "He hasn't fought seriously for a while."

"Your father may not look it, but he has quite a few surprises up his sleeves." Nodoka smiled.

"If ya say so." Ranma grinned as the referee called out the start of the match, and the two martial arts patriarchs leapt at each other.

The crowd gasped in awe as the elder Saotome twisted in mid-air to avoid Takuma's opening _Hein-Shippu-Kyaku_, delivering a powerful knee to Takuma's back in the process. Genma landed in a crouch, uncoiling up and around in an uppercut that caused his opponent to fly back.

"_Kou-Ken_!" Takuma rolled backwards as he released the ki-blast, expecting Genma to either dodge it or cancel it with a blast of his own.

When Genma leapt over the ki projectile, Takuma grabbed the leg that had been extended in an aerial kick and wrenched it around, causing Genma to slam into the ground. The elder Sakazaki's eyes widened when the heave-set man's legs wrapped around his arm.

Genma lifted his body off the ground with his arms and spun, causing Takuma to come crashing down to the floor as well, held tightly in a textbook armbar. Takuma twisted towards his opponent to relieve the tension on his arm and let fly a ki-blast point-blank into the elder Saotome. The explosion blew both of them apart, sending the skidding across the ground.

Takuma smirked as he planted his feet, his aura flaring to life around him. The flare of his ki coalesced into his outstretched hands. "_Haoh Shi-Kou Ken_!"

The massive blast of spiritual energy exploded from Takuma's palms, expanding in size as it crossed the distance between the two combatants. Takuma held his position, pouring more energy into the blast. He completely missed Genma's smirk hidden behind the wave of ki.

After a few seconds, the elder Sakazaki relented, and the ki-blast winked out of existence, leaving behind a scorched concrete ground and a completely unharmed Genma, who was holding a folded bandanna in his hands. Takuma only had a moment to stare in shocked surprise as the cloth dropped open and a giant wave of ki rushed back at him. He only had time for a single thought before the force of his own _Haoh Shi-Kou Ken_ knocked him unconscious and blew him out of the ring.

"What the-"

That thought was echoed by every person in the stadium. It took the shell-shocked referee several seconds to call out the winner. "Round one, winner by knock-out, Saotome Genma!"

The audience was quiet, unsure of how to react to one of their favorite veterans going down so quickly and so spectacularly.

They continued to watch in stunned silence as Genma plowed this way through Heidern. The aging mercenary commander's military-grade hand-to-hand combat training was generally acclaimed as one of the best in the world, as proven by Leona, Ralph, and Clark. Despite that, it was barely enough to slow the elder Saotome down, but in the end, Heidern dropped out of the ring unconscious after a well-placed kick.

By that time, however, Genma's stamina had started to wane, the two battles in a row taking their toll on his aged body. Up in the lounge, Shampoo watched in wide-eyed surprise at the Saotome patriarch's skill.

"He's good," she whispered. Shampoo counted herself amongst the best fighters in Nerima, and she had improved tremendously over the years. In all the time she had spent around Ranma, however, she had never seen Genma fight all-out. Sure, she had seen him spar against his son, but this was different. Even from up here she could feel the almost frightening intensity with which he fought, so much like his son. She could feel the almost tangible joy and exhilaration they received from fighting just for the sake of fighting.

This Genma would utterly demolish her, even now. And to think Ranma had been able to fight him to a draw some of the times even when he first arrived in Nerima, and later on, surpass him in skill and strength; suddenly, she was very glad for the pigtailed young man's kind soul. The gods only knew what could have happened had he snapped under all the pressure he had been under during his first few years in Nerima and decided to turn that frightening skill upon them.

Seeing the father and son pair fight with identical content smiles on their faces caused her to grin in anticipation. To fight simply to test their strengths, without a life hanging in the balance, without impending doom looming over their heads, this was what she lived for. To fight for the sake of the Art.

V-----------------------V

In the end, Genma fell to the elder Kusanagi. Neither Tao nor Akane managed to defeat Saisyo in the next rounds; what surprised Ranma was that unlike his nephew, Saisyo barely relied on the magatama. Instead, he proved extremely crafty, using his combat expecience to feint and trap his opponents before hitting them with moves that, while similar to Kyo's, were much more refined and powerful.

When Shampoo and Nodoka giggled, the pigtailed martial artist turned around, chuckling at the sight that presented itself to him. His father was hobbling into the lounge on crutches, an indignant expression on his face as he headed for them.

"It hurts, you know," he muttered.

Nodoka arched an eyebrow. "Oh? Whining over a little pain isn't very manly, right, son?"

Ranma grinned. "Nope, not at all, mom. Whatcha think, Shampoo?"

"Manly man no whine," the amazon agreed.

"That's quite true, uncle Genma," Kasumi added.

Genma, who had grown progressively paler with each statement, whimpered as his wife stemmed her fists into her hips and fixed him with a penetrating glare.

"Are you implying I married an unmanly man, husband?"

Before the elder Saotome could reply, Nodoka lost control and broke out into giggles that quickly proved infectious. Ranma chuckled at his father's expression. _Now I know why mom and Kasumi-chan get along so well. They have the exact same sense of humor._

"What's so funny?" Taro grumbled as he climbed the stairs to the lounge. "Share the joke, femboy."

"Just pops here whining about his bruises." Ranma smirked. "So, how exactly did you manage to stumble and fall flat on your face?" Taro had, in fact, not been knocked out. Instead, the Chinese boy had lost when he had attempted to dodge one of Saisyo's attacks and ended up tripping and falling out of the ring.

"That right," Shampoo nodded vigorously. "TUUSMG way too clumsy."

"TUUSMG?" Taro atared at her blankly.

"Yeah, it short for your name. So-so hard to say." Shampoo grinned.

"You have to admit, it's quite a mouthful," Nodoka noted. The kimono-clad woman suddenly noticed something. "Where's Akane-chan?"

Taro shrugged. "Last I saw her, she was downstairs talking to some girls. I think they're up next. Weird chicks." He pointedly ignored the combined glares of all females within hearing distance.

The group returned their attention to the arena down below as Toma announced the next match.

Takuma's students of the Kyokugen-Ryu were facing against Todo Kasumi, King, and Kagura Chizuru of the veteran All-Women's Team. Akane joined the group while the first two fighters entered the ring. The youngest Tendo girl had more than her fair share of scrapes and bruises – had Soun been there, he would most likely have bawled his eyes out at his little girl getting hurt.

Akane, however, had an excited grin on her face despite her loss. She leaned against the railing in between Ranma and Nodoka as she looked down at the fighting platform where the match was starting.

"You did good." Ranma's voice came from her right. Akane craned her head at her sensei. He gave her a thumbs-up and a smile in acknowledgement, his right arm wrapped around an equally-proud Kasumi.

"I lost." Akane's expression fell.

Ranma shrugged. "So? He's got three times your experience. You did damn good, Akane. Give it another couple years, and you can take him, no problem. I guarantee it."

"Thanks."

"Did you enjoy it?"

Akane's grin returned full-force. "Yes."

"Good." Ranma placed his free hand on her shoulder. "That's all that matters."

Akane was forced to agree. Under Ranma's tutelage her abilities in the martial arts had grown by leaps and bounds over the last few years. The pigtailed boy's assessment of her had proven correct – she had always had the potential, but had been prevented from growing by her own ego and temper.

Once she had overcome those, however, she had quickly caught up to Shampoo in terms of pure skill; while she still didn't have the necessary control to project a ki-blast, she had overcome that handicap quite readily: she had retained use of her mallet of doom. This had thoroughly surprised Ranma, because, now that he had gotten a closer look at it without having to worry about it actually hitting him, he realized it wasn't a real mallet at all – it was a ki-construct she could control subconsciously.

In a way, it was a more advanced technique than Cologne's Splitting Cat's Hairs; instead of a mere illusion of a solid object, she had created something that actually felt like a solid object.

"Winner, round one, Sakazaki Ryo!" The roar of the crowd announced the victory of their favorite.

Takuma's son offered a hand to his downed opponent, patting King on the shoulder as he helped her up. The tuxedo-clad kickboxer chuckled as they exchanged a few words that went unheard by the audience.

Akane eyed the next woman who stepped into the ring and grinned. The woman down below flipped her long blue-black hair back over her shoulder and took her stance.

Ranma noticed his student's interest in the woman. Like her opponent, she was dressed in a traditional white gi, but with the addition of a set of blue hakama. The pigtailed martial artist was reminded of Kuno for a brief moment, but shook his head. The style of dress was where the resemblance ended. Her stance was wide and narrow, with both of her arms extended straight in front of her chest, bent at right angles at the elbows.

"Kobojutsu," Ranma suddenly realized.

"That's right," Genma agreed.

"Man, I haven't seen a stance like that in ages," the Saotome heir chuckled. "Not since that dojo down in Kyoto."

"What's Kobojutsu?" Shampoo observed the battle down below carefully, wondering what kind of style the girl was practicing. To the amazon, the woman's stance was rather inefficient; her narrow stance made it seemingly easy to put her off-balance, and she seemed to have no low guard at all.

"It's a very defensive style," Genma explained. "It's similar to Aikido in that it is a purely reactive fighting style. It focuses solely on counters."

"How come I've never seen you use it?" Shampoo shared Akane's amused smirk as Todo Kasumi proceeded to dismantle the heir of the Kyokugen-Ryu dojo. "It seems very effective," she amended her initial opition of the style.

"He's too aggressive," Genma chuckled. "Kobojutsu requires patience in waiting for your opponent to strike, and then counter with precision. He's got the precision part down, but he's still too hot-headed to use it effectively."

Ranma merely smiled sheepishly at the exchange.

"Winner by knock-out, Todo Kasumi!"

The fight continued into the next round much the same way, though Kasumi's counters seemed less effective against Robert than they had been against Ryo.

"He's got too much range," Taro commented at Akane's quizzical look. The Chinese boy pointed down. "Look at how tall he is compared to her."

The European towered over the Japanese woman by at least a foot, Akane realized with a start.

"It means that she has to move further into his zone of movement to be really effective. He can just chip away from outside her range like he's doing now."

"I see."

"That's the weakness of counter-arts like Aikido and Kobojutsu. Since they're purely defensive, they have no offensive moves at all."

"_Chou Kasane Ate_!"

Taro's jaw dropped open when, following the echoing shout, a massive wave of ki thundered across the ring, bathing the stadium in a bright blue light.

"No offensive moves, eh?"Ranma chuckled as he blinked the brightness out of his eyes.

"Of course…there are always…exceptions," Taro muttered, trying to keep his left eye from twitching.

"Winner by knock-out, Todo Kasumi!"

Ryo's sister Yuri climbed into the ring after Robert had been woken and taken to the infirmary. While most fighters generally controlled their attacks to simply knock out their opponents without overly injuring them, there were always those few that didn't, and there were always unpredictable accidents.

The two women exchanged a few words and faced off, friendly but serious smiles on their lips. To everyone's surprise, the fight only lasted for a few seconds as Yuri threw a large ki-blast at her opponent, charging in behind it.

Instead of cancelling the projectile, Kasumi rolled sideways, coming up ready to counter. Before she could get her guard up, however, Yuri had put on a sudden burst of speed and dashed through her defense with a cry of "_Yuri, Cho Reppa_!"

Ranma glanced sideways, and noticed Akane frowning when the Kobojutsu practitioner collapsed, unconscious.

"What do you think, Ranma?" A new voice came from behind them.

"Yo, Mousse!" The pigtailed martial artist moved to greet the myoptic amazon.

Mousse inclined his head in greeting. "I saw your first fight. Nice work."

"Thanks. So, when's your turn?"

"Two more fights. We're the last in this block."

"Cool."

"Wow, that's so much better than the Splitting Cat's Hairs!" Shampoo's shout caused both of them to look down at the ring to see what had caught the girl's attention.

"_Ni-Hyaku Juu-Ni Katsu: Shinsoku non Norito_-" Yuri's opponent, a woman with long black hair clad in the white robes of a Shinto priestess, spun, releasing a shadowy form that quickly solidified into a clone of herself.

"Whoa, that's way cool," Ranma noted, and Mousse nodded in agreement, equally impressed.

Yuri blocked the clone's attacks and leapt over it to rush her opponent. Her eyes widened when her fist connected with nothing but thin air, and she found three fingers jabbing into pressure points on her back.

"-_Tenzui_." Chizuru lifted her hand and bowed as Yuri slumped to the ground.

"Winner by knock-out, Kagura Chizuru!"

Taro blinked in shock. "Did she just create honest to God clones of herself?"

Ranma grinned and nodded. "She sure did."

"You're gonna try and emulate that technique, aren‎'t you." Taro sighed at the eager look in the pigtailed boy's eyes.

"Yep."

"He'll probably have it down in four days or something," Mousse grumbled good-naturedly. While he still considered Ranma a rival in the martial arts, the Saotome boy's uncanny ability to observe, analyze, and duplicate – not to mention counter – new moves with frightening ease had his full respect.

Shampoo looked at them skeptically. "Nah. Two days, tops."

Kasumi smiled as the group around her husband laughed. Only a few weeks before, the pigtailed young man had been lost in his depression, devastated by the loss of Ukyo and Cologne. Seeing him chatting and laughing amongst his friends lifted a heavy weight off her shoulders, and she found herself enjoying the tournament as much as he was.

The genuinely happy expression on his face was a welcome change, and even just by watching she could feel his joy in displyaing his Art.

While Kasumi herself didn't have much of an interest in practicing martial arts, she had to admit she found a great pleasure in watching; maybe it was because she came from a family with deep roots in the Art, maybe it was her long exposure to one of the most brilliant martial artists she had ever met. Whatever the reason, Kasumi was glad she could share the joy of such an important aspect of Ranma's life.

Watching the battles in the arena below, she found herself looking forward to them, to seeing these carefully practiced and refined moves put to the test in a dance of unrivalled elegance.

Of course, none of those contestants down below could really compete with her husband, Kasumi thought with a smile.

"What are you thinking about, Kasumi-chan?" Nodoka's gentle voice brought the eldest Tendo daughter out of her musings.

Kasumi merely copied the redheaded woman's smile and glanced at her husband, who was chatting animatedly with Taro, Mousse, and Akane.

Nodoka chuckled at the sight of her happy child. "It's good to see him so alive again, isn't it."

"Yes." Kasumi's eyes wandered over to her mother-in-law. "What about you? You were with him, it must have been horrible."

Nodoka sighed tiredly, and for a moment Kasumi could see the pain in the older woman's eyes before she expertly masked it again.

"It wasn't anything I haven't seen before," she finally replied. "The battle we fought at Jusendo was just as hard four years ago than it was a month ago. War is ugly, Kasumi-chan, but unfortunately, it's a part of life."

"Yes, but no one died back then."

Nodoka's eyes bored into Kasumi with such an intensity that the brunette practically felt the Saotome matriarch look into her soul.

"A lot of people died in those few days, Kasumi-chan. We were lucky enough that it wasn't anyone we know. We weren't as lucky this time." The elder woman sighed, closing her eyes for a moment. "I'm sorry, Kasumi-chan. I know you didn't mean it like that."

"That's quite all right, auntie. And you're right, we were very lucky that time." Kasumi shuddered, remebering the horror of the few days they had spent under constant siege at Jusendo a few years ago.

"It was a lot harder for Ranma than for me," Nodoka admitted. "What I saw was the death of two good people. What he saw was the death of his sister and grandmother."

Kasumi nodded. "He's been coping with it remarkably well. We all miss Ukyo and Cologne-san, but he's grown especially close to them the last few years. I don't know what Howard-san told him, but I'm grateful it worked."

"He shouldn't be, though," Nodoka sighed.

"What?"

"Don't get me wrong, Kasumi-chan. I thank Kami-sama every day that he's doing so well, but he's so young." Nodoka smiled sadly. "The kami have graced me with a wonderful son. Ranma is so much stronger than I or his father ever were; he's survived so much and is still a good person, he's never given up. But he's so young, Kasumi-chan. He's barely even twenty, and he's already been through more than most of us go through in a lifetime. He shouldn't have to deal with death so often, so early."

"That's true," Kasumi agreed. "But I thank the kami every day that Ranma-kun is the kind of person he is. Anyone else would have surrendered long ago. You should be proud of him, auntie."

"I am, Kasumi-chan." Nodoka wiped a lone tear from her eyes. "I'm so very proud of him," she whispered.

"Mom? Kasumi? What's wrong?"

Nodoka quickly put on a smile at her son's concerned voice. "Nothing, son." She could see in his eyes that he didn't completely buy it. Her smile broadened. "Did I ever tell you how proud I am of you, Ranma?"

The pigtailed boy blinked in surprise, having missed the conversation between the two women. "Uh, yeah, you have, mom."

Kasumi looked on with a soft smile as Nodoka pulled her son into a hug. "Don't ever forget it."

"Mom?"

"Yes, my son?" Nodoka started at the emotion in her son's eyes, realizing that he, too, had been thinking about Ukyo and Cologne.

"Thanks."

That one word somehow managed to convey a world of meaning to Nodoka. The Saotome matriarch suddenly found it difficult to speak, but she didn't have to. Ranma tightened his hold on her for a moment before pulling back.

"Hey, kid."

Mother and son turned around at Iori's call. The redhaired man was standing next to a woman Ranma recognized as the last fighter in the ring. She stepped forward and bowed to both in greeting.

"Ranma-kun, Saotome-san, it's a pleasure to meet you."

"Kagura-san, right?" Nodoka inclined her head in response.

"That is correct."

"So, what's up, Iori?" Ranma asked after returning the priestess's greeting as well.

Iori shrugged. "Not a clue. I was hanging around downstairs when she asked to meet you."

All eyes went to the priestess, who was staring at Ranma.

The pigtailed boy chuckled nervously under her scrutiny. "Uh...okay,. So, what can I do for you?"

Chizuru smiled after a few tense moments. "I'm one of the hosts of the tournament, along with Howard-san and Rugal. I've heard quite a few rumors about your accomplishments, but frankly, some of us found them hard to believe. I came to meet you in person."

Ranma shrugged. "It really doesn't bother me what they believe."

Chizuru's smile widened. "So, what do you think of this year's tournament?"

"It's really great to be here. I've been following this tournament ever since '94, but I never thought I'd actually take part in it."

Kasumi nodded. "We were really surprised when Howard-san showed up with the invitations."

"From what I've seen of you so far, Howard-san made an excellent decision in inviting you and your friends. You're an exceptional fighter, Ranma-kun," Chizuri chuckled at the boy's blush.

"Winner by knock-out, Wolfgang Krauser!" The crowd below roared in response to the announcement.

"I'm the best," Ranma shrugged.

"So modest, too." Chizuru inclined her head. "I actually came to ask you to keep an eye out for Rugal."

"Why's that?" So the captain of the _Black Noah_ was a bit of a con artist, and harder to hold on to than a fresh water eel, but Ranma was wondering what made him so dangerous that he had to keep an eye on him.

Chizuri frowned. "Last year he tried to blow us up along with his ship."

"You're kidding."

"Unfortunately, no."

"But why?!"

"He was obsessed with accumulating power," Chizuru shot Iori a pointed look before continuing. "He seems to have mellowed out somewhat, but you never know."

Ranma swung around to Iori. "Did you know about this?"

"I was there, kid," Iori smirked.

"And you didn't tell me!?"

"Hey, getting off that ship before it blew up was the fun part."

"Only you would think so, Yagami," Chizuru sighed, leaving Ranma to wonder what kind of madman he had teamed up with.

"You let my mother and my wife get on a ship with a crazy guy who tried to blow you all to hell last year!"

"Oh, don't take it so seriously, son," Nodoka giggled at the murderous glare her son was sending Iori. "Bernstein-san is not going to be blowing up any ships anytime soon."

"How do you know, mom?"

"Let's just say this ship was raised and repaired by a friend of the family." The smirk on the Saotome matriarch's face was so devious Ranma found himself shuddering involuntarily.

"Rugal definitely isn't going to do anything, if he knows what's good for him." Geese cracked his knuckles as he came up the stairs followed by his two teammates.

The modern pirate sent him a dirty look. "Don't have to rub it in, Howard. Orochi-blood or not, I can still kick your ass."

"Get in line, Rugal, he's mine first." Terry grinned as he and his team passed by the Boss team on their way down into the arena.

"Looking forward to seeing you down there, Bogard. Of course, you have to make it to the finals, first," Geese smirked.

Terry merely waved back at them before vanishing down the stairway.

"That was quick," Iori commented while Geese, Rugal, and a tall blonde man, who had more muscles than any of Nerima's inhabitants had ever seen, settled down.

"They're good, but they're still children. Mere amateurs playing at being warriors," the heavily muscled man replied. "Wolfgang Krauser, at your service," he introduced himself, bowing deeply at the waist at Kasumi and Nodoka. "It's a pleasure to meet such beautiful women."

Introductions were exchanged, and Krauser noticed with an amused smirk that Ranma had wrapped a protective arm around his wife.

The group passed the rest of the day in idle chat while watching the fights below. Herb's two retainers, Lime and Mint, put up a decent fight and managed to defeat a kunoichi by the name of Shiranui Mai, but eventually lost to her enraged husband Andy. Ranma had to admit, the two were the weirdest ninja he had ever seen.

The dragon prince himself, however, mananged to not only take out Andy, but also fought his older brother to a draw. It seemed that even amongst the world-class fighters here, Herb's ability to fly and his innate skill at manipulating ki gave him an incredible edge.

The fight ended when Terry managed to connect with a lucky shot; when Herb recovered from the _Burn Knuckle_, the fight was over – his left foot had landed outside the ring.

Mousse excused himself from the observing group when his team was called out, and Ranma could clearly see the excitement shining behind the amazon's glasses.


	12. Chapter 12: Pride of the Champion

Author's Note: Wow. It's been a long, LONG time since I updated. Good news, however, my muse is back with me, and Chapter 13 is done (I'm typing it up right now), and I've started writing chapter 14. The whole King of Fighters arc is taking a bit longer than I had planned, but it seems this story just took a life of it's own, which I think is a good thing. Anyway, I'm adjusting the following chapters accordingly, but at the very least, I'm back in business! Again, sorry for the delay, and thanks for reading! Enjoy!  


Chapter Twelve: Pride of the Champion

Surprisingly, Ranma mused as he stood on the deck of the _Black Noah_ again, Mousse's team had lost. What was surprising about that was that Mousse was a formidable fighter, and he had teamed up with Ryoga – who had been there on time, for a change – and Saffron, of all people. The pigtailed boy knew very well how good the lost boy was, and he still vividly remembered the frightening power Saffron had wielded in their first battle.

Given the team's impressive lineup, he had expected them to easily defeat their opponents. Against all odds, however, the three people that faced them had made humiliatingly short work of them. Only Ryoga's toughness and Saffron's regenerative abilities had allowed them to last more than a few seconds.

In fact, it hadn't even been much of a battle; the boy in the blue polo shirt whom Toma had introduced as Chris had hopped onto the stage, raised a hand, and beams of light had struck down from the sky.

Mousse and Saffron had gone down quickly – the latter after taking nearly a half-dozen bolts of energy that were powerful enough to be felt up in the lounge. Ryoga, however, had proven his stubbornness once again; the lost boy had kept getting back up, slowly closing the distance between him and Chris. The child had looked up just in time to see Ryoga's incoming fist.

That had been their only victory, however. As hurt as he was, Ryoga had been unable to put up a suitable defense when Yashiro viciously laid into him.

With the first round over, all the remaining fighters and those that wanted to stay and watch had boarded the _Black Noah_ once more. The ship was now en route to the port of Hong Kong, where Geese assured them an arena was waiting for their use.

Ryoga and Mousse were still with them, of course, while Herb and Saffron had taken their leave – after all, they had their respective people to rule. The Sports Team had left as well, as has the Psycho Soldiers Team after their defeat by the Boss Team.

Yamazaki was still there, much to Ranma's chargrin, though the pigtailed martial artist had no problems with the Yakuza's teammates. He had made fast friends with both Billy Kane – who turned out to Geese's right-hand man – and Mary Ryan, though the blonde wrestler insisted he call her Blue Mary.

Kim was also still there, though Chang and Choi had opted to return to Korea – the two would leave once they reached the mainland. Takuma's heirs, of course, remained, both to support their sensei and watch their friends' matches.

* * *

"No! Absolutely not!" Iori's voice came from around the corner. 

"You saw what they did to that team, Iori. There's no doubt he's awakening." Ranma couldn't quite identify the female voice over the roar of the ships's engine.

There was a pause before Iori spoke again. "I kno. I can feel it. But I don't like working with Kusanagi. That traitorous bastard is probably going to take the first chance to kill me while I'm busy pummeling it."

"I know, and I wouldn't ask either of you if it weren't absolutely necessary, but we need the clans of the Shingi Trioca united if we want to have any chance of defeating it. I ask that you two put your feud aside until then."

Another pause. Then, "Who knows about this?"

"Only the two of us. I haven't talked to Kyo yet. I think Saisyu, Leona, and Yamazaki can feel it, but only Saisyu should have any idea of what it means. He hasn't said anything, so I'm pretty sure even he isn't suspecting anything," the woman replied.

"Any idea who's behind this?"

Ranma assumed the woman had shaken her head negative in response, and Iori let out an irritated grunt.

"Great. So we just wait?"

"There's nothing else we can do. Whoever's responsible for this will only show himself when the awakening is complete."

Not liking the direction the conversation was taking, Ranma slipped into his father's _Umi-Sen-Ken_ cloak and rounded the corner. Iori was standing in front of Chizuru, who was leaning back against the railing, her long black hair fluttering in the wind.

"Should we warn the others?" Iori asked.

"No. There's no point in involving them. They wouldn't stand a chance."

"I don't know." Iori sounded skeptical. "Geese and Krauser are here. Krauser's so strong he'd put up a pretty good fight, at least. And there's always the kid."

Chizuru shook her head. "Ranma may be good, but he can't handle this. I get the feeling this person is strong. Stronger than even Krauser, or you. None of them stand any chance against a fully awakened Orochi."

_Orochi_. Ranma rolled that word around in his mind. He'd heard it before, a few times, especially in relation to blood-imbued powers. He knew Iori was considered Orochi-blooded, and that it had something to do with his control of the purple Magatama. While not exactly evil, he could feel a darkness in Iori's spirit flame that wasn't present in that of the Kusanagi line. His first instinct was to go ask Cologne if she knew anything about it, but that train of thought came to a screeching halt when he remembered that his mentor was dead.

"Look," Iori growled, drawing Ranma's attention back to the conversation. "I like a good life-or-death fight as much as the next guy, but this ship is carrying civilians. We should at least send them home before the shit hits the fan."

Chizuru smiled sadly. "No, we can't. If we cancel the tournament now, there's no telling what's going to happen. Whoever's awakening Orochi might decide to change plans, and we have no way of finding out what that would do. We need to continue as if nothing happened."

"You're using them as bait." It wasn't a question.

"We'll do whatever we can to keep them safe, but re-establishing the seal is more important. If Orochi awakens completely, there's no telling how many people are going to die." Chizuru sighed.

"I never figured you for the ruthless type, Kagura."

The priestess gave a mirthless chuckle. "Neither did I. But I've seen a vision of what happens if he gets free, and it scares me."

"This is wrong. We should be telling the other fighters. They're stronger than you give them credit for. Especially the kid." Iori snorted in disdain and walked away, leaving a weary-looking Chizuru alone on the deck, until Ranma dropped the _Umi-Sen-Ken_.

"What's going on here, Kagura-san?"

The woman looked up, startled at the unexpected voice. "Going on? Nothing's going on, Ranma-kun," she replied, forcing a friendly smile.

"Cut the bull, will ya?" Ranma leaned on the railing next to her, crossing his arms across his chest. "I heard your little chat with Iori. Something big's coming, and you know what it is, so spill."

Closing her eyes, Chizuru let out a tired sigh. She began telling of the great nature god Orochi, and how, after millennia, he had turned from a nature god into a chaos god. How, eighteen-hundred years ago, three powerful clans had allied to end his reign of chaos and banish him.

The Shingi Trioca, composed of Clan Yata, Clan Kusanagi, and Clan Yasakani, had formed an alliance to seal away the monster Orochi had become. The warrior of the Yasakani had used their Magatama to hold the monster in place, a Kusanagi clansman had dealt it the final blow with the _Kusanagi no Tsurugi_, and the Yata priestesses had sealed it away.

The plan succeeded, and Orochi was banished into a divine seal. However, eleven-hundred years later, when the Kusanagi were at their strongest, and the Yasakani at their weakest, the Yasakani, fearing for their clan's safety, made a blood pact with Orochi's spirit to allow them the use of his power. Such power came with a cost: the Yasakani, now known as the Yagami, gained the powers of Orochi, tainting their spirit flame and turning it into the purple Magatama no Orochi. All the clansmen were doomed to short lives, with their matriarchs dying in childbirth.

The Kusanagi, feeling threatened by the new powers gained by the Yagami, assaulted them in the hopes of putting a quick end to the clan and their command over Orochi's powers. The plan failed, degenrating into a deadly blood feud that lasted seven-hundred years and nearly annihilated both clans.

The feud still continued, but the two clans that had once dominated the Japanese islands had been reduced to Iori on the Yagami side, and Kyo and Saisyu on the Kusanagi side. This generation would be the last to carry on the blood feud.

Ranma remained silent for a while. "So someone's trying to, like, resurrect this guy?"

Chizuru nodded. "Yes. Members of Clan Yagami can feel it, because they are directly tied to Orochi's power. The stronger he becomes, the stronger the pull of their blood on them."

"So what do you have to do with this? You're not a Yata, or a Kusanagi, or a Yagami. Why is this happening now?"

"We of the House of Kagura were once known as the Clan of the Yata." Chizuru smiled sadly. "As for why this is happening, the descendants of my family have been maintaining the seal for generations, each training the next to take over their duties. Until very recently, my sister, Maki, was the guardian of the seal. She was assassinated four months ago."

Ranma bowed his head. "I'm sorry."

"What's worse," Chizuru continued, "is that I haven't yet acquired the spiritual power to maintain the seal at full strength by myself. With her death, the seal has been weakened enough that resurrecting Orochi is very possible."

The pigtailed martial artist pinched the bridge of his nose. "You've gotta be kidding me. This can't be happening again." He turned to look at the priestess, and she shuddered at the determination in his eyes. "I don't care who or what they are. I'm going to find out who's doing this, and we're going to stop them. I'm not letting this happen again."

The Kagura heir almost flinched from the repressed anguish in his eyes. "You wouldn't stand a chance! Look, whoever's freeing Orochi from the seal is most likely very strong, and drawing on Orochi's powers!"

Ranma growled, his golden aura exploding around him. Tendrils of angry ki licked up around his body, and Chizuru could feel the heat he was generating.

"You have no idea what I can do," he hissed angrily. "You have no idea what I've fought." The aura blased on for another moment before dissipating. Ranma turned around and walked away, pausing at the stairs that led below deck.

"I'm not going to loose. I'm not going to let some stupid, arrogant god mess with me or my friends again," he said before disappearing downstairs, leaving an awed Chizuru behind.

_Wait a moment. __He's not going to let it happen again? What did he mean by that?_

* * *

Geese had somehow managed to get the local authorities to clear a street for them to fight on. Spectators were lining the tape the police had put up around the part of the street that would act as their battlefield. 

Cheers went up for the crowd's favorites as the remaining eight teams rounded the corner, taking their seats on one end of the makeshift arena. Rugal stepped into the center of the street holding up a microphone.

"Welcome to the second round of this year's King of Fighters tournament. Sixteen teams joined us this year, and now, only eight remain. Surprisingly, some of our new entrants have put up a spectacular performance during their initial matches, so please welcome returning fighter Yagami Iori and his two new teammates Saotome Ranma and Xian Pu!" Rugal turned, beckoning the trio to step forward. Tentative applause greeted them; Iori was not the type of person to attract many fans, and both Ranma and Shampoo were complete newcomers to the tournament.

"In the first round, they soundly defeated the Korean team, and now," Rugal held out a hand, and a blonde woman handed him an envelope, "they'll be facing…the Hero team!"

Thunderous applause went up for Kyo, Goro, and Benimaru as they joined their opponents. Kyo and Goro stepped back, and so did Ranma and Iori.

Benimaru glanced down at the purple-haired young woman, and smirked. "How about we forget about fighting, and go out on a date, instead, beautiful?" His eyes roamed her form appreciatively, and Ryoga had to hold back Mousse from the spectators' area.

Shampoo snorted. "I can do a lot better than you, blondie."

"Fine, I'll defeat you and take you out afterwards. Don't worry, I'll go easy on you," the blonde told her with a patronizing smile.

"You're going to eat those words, pretty-boy," Shampoo snarled in Mandarin. Switching back to Japanese, she told him, "and the same to you."

Rugal gave the signal, and Shampoo launched herself at her opponent in a flying kick. Benimaru blocked, only to find himself rocked off his feet with surprising force.

Shampoo didn't allow her opponent time to recover, quickly following him with a series of punches and kicks. She noted with satisfaction that a number of them landed solidly, but before she could press her attack any further, Benimaru's retaliating spin-kick forced her to step back.

Ducking under a right cross, Shampoo flipped, coming up under her opponent's chin in a handstand that propelled her feet-first into his face. The blonde didn't quite manage to dodge in time and caught the blow full-force. He flipped backwards with the impact and got back to his feet, his eyes narrowing in anger as he wiped the blood from his nose.

Shampoo allowed herself a smirk. Drawing first blood on that arrogant jerk had been very satisfying. The amazon reassessed his fighting ability; the fact that he had managed to recover and sneak in a kick during her offensive meant he wasn't just talk. She decided to dig deeper into her collection of techniques, feinting left and, when he refused to fall for it, turned the single fake attack into a hundred real ones with a familiar cry: "_Kachuu Tenshin Amaguri-ken_!"

Beniamru's eyes widened to impossible proportions as he felt his left side explode into pain. Shampoo continued to pepper him with punches for a few more seconds, then she decided to put her own personal finishing touch on the technique. The last punch stopped an inch short of its target. With a wicked grin, Shampoo uncurled her fist, a miniature ki-blast erupting from her open palm, striking her opponent's torso point-blank.

He didn't go far, and she had intended it that way.Dashing after the blonde, Shampoo reached him just in time to find him rising from the ground. She gasped in surprise when a hand clenched around her throat. The young woman only had a moment to wonder why there was no choking pressure on her neck when she was dangling in the air. The answer came a second later, and she cried out in pain as electricity surged through her body.

The audience quieted down as Benimaru continued to telentlessly force his ki into his opponent's body. Long seconds ticked by as her limbs spasmed in pain. Her cry died out, her lungs devoid of air and unable to draw in a fresh breath.

"Benimaru! Stop it, you'll kill her!" Kyo shouted from the ringside. While he held no fondness for their opponents, he wasn't about to let his friend commit cold-blooded murder out of sheer pride. The blonde, however, wasn't listening. A maniacal gleam had entered his eyes, his face distorted in a sneer as the girl twitched helplessly in his grip.

On the other side, Ranma frowned. He knew all too well what was happening. He rose from the bench, ready to interrupt the fight when Iori stopped him. The Yagami heir pointed, and Ranma followed his eyes to see what had caught his teammate's attention.

No one else had noticed, least of all Benimaru, but Shampoo's face was no longer contorted in agony.

* * *

Pain was all she knew. Pain had been her world for the few seconds that seemed like an eternity to her. She couldn't understand how it could have happened, how the fight had turned against her in one quick move. At this point, she didn't care. 

All she wanted at this point was for the pain to stop. She didn't realize she had stopped breathing. All she knew was that she would accept even death if it meant an end to her excruciating torture. A part of her mind still capable of rational thought despite the pain managed to see the irony of her situation – defeated by an inferior fighter because of her own carelessness. She had survived the demon invasion of her home; she had fought against her amazon sisters and prevailed. She had survived life-and-death battles with mythical beasts, only to fall here.

There had been no giving up those times, she mused. Failure then meant the death of everyone she held dear. It was almost laughable. The possessed Perfume would have sliced and diced her opponent for breakfast. Ranma would have beated him down without batting an eye.

Ranma.

The pigtailed young man would have found a way to counter this. He would've broken out and **then** beaten down his opponent.

"Let's make the old ghoul proud," he had told her before the fight. It was a huge part of why they were here, after all; to honor their fallen friends by showing their legacy to the world, and by giving them their victory as a gift to the afterlife.

Failure here would mean her death, Shampoo suddenly realized. It would mean she would be joining Cologne and Ukyo in oblivion. As much as she wanted to see her great-grandmother and best friend again, she wasn't ready for this yet. _I can't loose. Not to this arrogant brat._

Cologne would frown on her great-granddaughter's helplessness, and Ranma? Giving up was not in his vocabulary. It was one of the reasons Cologne had respected the boy, and it was the reason Shampoo admired him so much.

Slowly, painfully, Shampoo cracked open an eye as an idea began to form in her mind. _Sometimes, the best approach is brute force_, she tought.

Sweat beaded on her face as she forced herself to think and act through the haze of pain. Slowly, her limbs began to react. One of her hands came up, closing around the wrist of the arm that held her aloft. The other hand rose to point its palm at her captor's torso. Without air in her lungs, all she could do was mouth the words as she began drawing in ki from around her.

"_Ryu Tsui Ame_."

The thin, narrow beam of ki drilled into Benimaru's chest, burning through cloth and skin alike as she siphoned off the ki he was trying to force into her and channeled it into the blast.

In response, he tried to force more of his energy into her, completely oblivious to the intensifying beam that was boring into his chest. With a heave, Shampoo dredged up her own reserves. The narrow beam widened for a split second before detonating in a brilliant flash of light.

She could feel herself being tossed through the air like a rag-doll by the concussive blast. Shampoo idly realized that the landing was supposed to hurt, but she was too tired to feel anything except the urge to lie down and rest.

Forcing air into her abused lungs, Shampoo was rewarded with intense burning pain. Her vision cleared with the fresh oxygen in her system, and she slowly, shakily rose to her feet. She opened her eyes just barely long enough to see a medical team rush towards her prone opponent, before snapping them shut in pain.

Her legs buckled underneath her, but before she could hit the ground, strong arms wrapped around her.

"Did I win?" she whispered hoarsely.

"Yeah." Shampoo barely recognized Ranma's voice. "You won. You did good, Shampoo. Cologne would've been proud."

"Good." With a smile, she allowed herself to surrender to unconsciousness.

* * *

"You did good, Shampoo. Cologne would've been proud of you." Ranma sighed in relief as a smile spread over his friend's tired face at his words. 

"Good."

When Shampoo passed out, he knew she was still alive by the, while labored, nevertheless steady rise and fall of her chest. What did concern him, however, was that she had just received the equivalent of an electrical shock that would have killed other people.

"Where's the medics?" Ranma growled. His eyes narrowed when Iori pointed over to the throng of nurses and doctors fussing about Shampoo's opponent.

The blonde's injury wasn't life-threatening, Ranma knew. He had seen the angle of the beam and felt the ki Shampoo had put into it – all it had done was create a localized burn that was more painful than anything – it had been a desperate attempt to get him to let her go. The brunt of the damage had been done by the concussive blast.

Shampoo's condition, on the other hand, was critical.

"Hey! Medic!" Ranma shouted. When no one paid any attention, the pigtailed martial artist growled angrily. He picked up the girl's limp form and walked over, Iori trailing behind him with an equally angry glare.

Ranma stopped in front of one of the doctors on the fringe of the group as Benimaru was wheeled off on the only stretcher. Adjusting his hold on Shampoo, he reached over and picked the man up by his lapel, hauling him in so that he could glare directly into his eyes.

"Yes?" The man seemed undisturbed by the withering glare the martial artist was directing at him, and sounded decidedly bored.

Ranma frowned, flaring his aura. The man shrank away. Ranma dropped him, letting him go as the doctor ran off as quickly as he could. Iori placed a hand on his shoulder and shook his head.

"I'll take care of the rest of these losers. You go make sure she's okay."

Without looking back, Ranma found the group of medics that were moving Benimaru to the hospital and took off. Iori blinked in surprise; when the dust settled, there was a foot-shaped impression in the asphalt at two inches deep.

Letting out a low whistle at the impressive feat, Iori returned his attention to the arena. Goro was the only one left, Kyo having left for somewhere, presumably with Benimaru.

The Yagami heir cracked his knuckles with a feral grin.

* * *

Fortunately, the hospital staff was more forthcoming with help and medical attention for Shampoo than the medics that were present at the tournament. Fortunate for the staff, at any rate. 

As it was, it had taken some bullying and intimidating to get the doctors to begin treating Shampoo instead of waiting around for the incoming ambulance with Benimaru.

Ranma was sitting in the lounge, attempting to get his temper back under control. It had taken all of his self-control and the fact that he needed both of his arms to carry Shampoo to keep from smacking the staff around. That, and the fact that he needed the doctors actually conscious to treat her.

Right now, a number of specialists were running a battery of tests on Shampoo's inert form. Despite his annoyance at the staff, Ranma was glad they had taken their job seriously after realizing the severity of her condition.

The howl of the ambulance's siren penetrated from the outside, quickly followed by the medics from the tournament wheeling by a stretcher. Ranma barely took note of them, lost in worry about his friend, until a shadow fell over him. His reflexes kicked in when he felt himself being hauled up out of his chair by the front of his shirt. His hand reached up, grabbing hold of the offending appendage and twisting it back and sideways.

Kyo let out a pained cry as his hand was bent backwards at an angle it was never designed to go. He found himself flat on his back looking up at the ceiling a moment later, with Ranma standing over him.

"What's the big idea?" Ranma growled. He had thought the Kusanagi heir's arrogance and overconfidence were kind of amusing, if annoying, but the fact that one of his teammates had taken that pride to the point of nearly killing one of Ranma's friends had suddenly made the situation a whole lot more serious.

Kyo sprang back to his feet, glaring at the pigtailed young man. "Your friend almost killed Benimaru!"

Ranma snorted derisively. "Your friend is fine. And in case you were absent during the fight, he was a second away from killing Shampoo!" He grabbed the front of Kyo's shirt, mirroring the older man's actions a minute ago, and pulled the brunette man down to eye level. "If she dies, I'll personally end his fighting career," Ranma hissed, clinging on to the Soul of Ice to keep his anger under control. The anger and helplessness he had felt not a few months ago bubbled to the surface, and he forced them back down ruthlessly, making sure to slam a lid on top.

Kyo's aura ignited at the barely veiled threat. "Don't you dare," he snarled. "If you so much as touch my friends, I'll kill you!"

"You and what army?" Ranma's eyes flashed dangerously, his pupils narrowing into slits.

"I don't need any help to take down an arrogant little brat like you."

Ranma glared at the older man for a few more moments, before releasing his hold and turning away. "Get off your high horse, Kusanagi. Your friend is going to be fine." _So will Shampoo, I hope,_ he added silently.

"He'll need two months of therapy in addition to treatment! He won't be fighting for a year!"

Ranma was starting to wonder why the public seemed to like the Kusanagi heir so much. He could understand now why Iori hated Kyo with a passion – the Kusanagi heir was almost as conceited as Kuno, and about as blind to anyone but himself as Kuno was to reality. The pigtailed martial artist spun, a sphere of swirling, brilliant golden ki forming in his outstretched hand, just inches away from Kyo's face.

"Shampoo might not fight ever again, you stupid ass! If it were me, I'd have done more than just torching his chest!"

"If she can't handle the tournament, she shouldn't have joined it!" Kyo roared. "You children know nothing about fighting!"

Ranma's chuckle caught the Kusanagi heir by surprise – the last thing he had expected was for the pigtailed young man to laugh in his face.

"What?" Kyo frowned as Ranma broke out into laughter.

Ranma continued laughing for a few moments before stopping abruptly, his face neutral, but absolute fury burning in his eyes. He and his friends had long ago stopped being children. They had long ago grown up, and it had cost them too much for someone like Kyo to simply dismiss that.

"It's about time," Ranma said, no trace of humor in his voice. "Iori should be done by now."

"What?" Kyo blinked in confusion.

"You and me." Ranma turned on his heel and left the lounge. "I'll make you eat those words," he echoed Shampoo's earlier comment to Benimaru.

* * *

True to Ranma's prediction, Iori had made short work out of Goro by the time they got back. Considering that Kyo had left for the hospital, Rugal had suspended the fights until they got back, though it appeared that upon their return, Ranma and Kyo had beated the messenger Rugal had sent for them. When Iori saw Kyo climb into the ring, he started to move to meet his nemesis. 

A glance from Ranma stopped him in his tracks. His teammate's eyes were reflecting something that made even the Insane Orochi Warrior think twice about denying him the chance to fight Kyo. Iori would never admit it to himself, much less out loud, but what he saw in the Saotome heir's eyes was enough to make him back away, despite the blood feud he had with Kyo. In other words, the Kusanagi boy was in for a world of hurt.

"Last chance to back out and get off without a scratch, Kusanagi." Ranma crossed his arms across his chest as he faced his opponent.

"That's my line."

Ranma's evil smirk went unseen as it flashed across his lips. "Your funeral."

"Begin!" Rugal shouted from the sidelines. He'd seen the look in Ranma's eyes, as well, and, like Iori, he knew what it meant. Thus, he figured it would be a lot safer to referee the fight from the sidelines and busy himself with arranging transport for Nodoka, Kasumi, and Mousse to the hospital. The taxi he'd called should be arriving any moment, and he could already see the Nerima party make their way out of the cordoned-off section of the road.

Ranma and Kyo remained still, their eyes never leaving the other.

"Ranma!"

The pigtailed martial artist spared a quick glance to the side where Mousse had called his name. The amazon hidden weapons master was leaving the crowd around the battlefield, and it didn't take much imagination to know where he was going.

"I won't forgive you if you loose." Mousse shouted over the roar of the crowd.

Ranma turned his head to meet his eyes, a silent promise evident in the look. Satisfied, Mousse nodded and left.

"_Orochinagi_!"

Ranma felt the ki-buildup long before Kyo called out the name of his attack. The flames of the magatama parted around him easily, courtesy of the Soul of Ice.

The crowd was silent when the attack subsided, and Ranma turned his attention back to his opponent, clearly unscathed.

"That all you got, Kusanagi?" Ranma's voice was deathly quiet. "My turn." Flickering from sight with the first indication of any of his true speed, he dashed across the arena, coming to a sliding halt behind Kyo, the ki around his hands dissipating.

The Kusanagi clan's heir collapsed, coughing up blood as his leather jacket shredded around him.

Ranma waited for Kyo to get back to his feet. The brunette fighter stood shakily, wiping the blood from his mouth with the back of his hand.

"That was nothing," Kyo sneered. He launched himself at Ranma, coming in low and hard with a wicked punch covered in flames of orange fire.

The pigtailed young man twisted his torso as he stepped back, letting the punches flash past him by mere inches. The kicks that followed the barrage of punches did surprise him, and he found himself having to block both of the kicks.

The punch that nailed him square in the jaw came as a complete surprise to Ranma as his opponent contorted in an almost impossible fashin in mid-air. He could almost feel the heat of the magatama before he Soul of Ice kicked in and flash-froze the flames. The force behind the blow was negligible to Ranma, especially after fighting people like Ryoga, but the surprise that his opponent had managed to land a solid hit in this impossible fashion made him turn his head with the blow.

Ranma had to admit, Kyo was good. He relied too much on his magatama, but his form was excellent, and he had decent speed. If not for the Soul of Ice that allowed him to counter the flames, Ranma would have had considerably more trouble fighting him off. However, Kyo was angry. Much the same as in their first confrontation, Kyo's anger proved to be his downfall as he stopped to think things through and blindly charged at the pigtailed martial artist. Ranma himself was angry, as well, but unlike Kyo, he had enough experience with fighting angry and he had the benefit of the Soul of Ice suppressing most of his emotions to fight to his full potential.

Kyo blinked in surprise when Ranma remained standing, albeit shocked.

That shock didn't last long, and the pigtailed martial artist leapt towards Kyo as he landed; the Kusanagi heir jumped, as well, attempting to meet Ranma in mid-air.

That decision was one Kyo would regret, though he didn't have much time to dwell on it. Ranma twisted, grabbing a hold of Kyo's outstretched leg, and pinned his arms to the side with his own legs in a mid-air arm bar.

"_Kachuu Tenshin Amaguri-Ken_!"

Using his free hand, Ranma began slamming punches into Kyo's chest even before gravity had re-asserted itself and the two started falling. The pair plummeted to the ground, hitting the asphalt with bone-crushing force. Ranma was perched on top of Kyo's prone form, having used it to shield himself from the force of the impact.

The audience was silent when Ranma rose, slowly walking away from his opponent. Kyo remained lying in the small crater that had formed around him – it took Rugal a few moments to declare the winner, before paramedics rushed Kyo off to the hospital.

Ryoga had waded through the crowd, meeting Ranma halfway through. The lost boy flashed him a quick grin before his expression turned serious again.

"Let's go," Ryoga said. Ranma acknowledged him with a nod, and the two left the crowd, headed for the hospital, as well.

Iori spared them a glance as they left. The next fighters were entering the arena, but the audience wasn't cheering. In fact, just before Ranma and Ryoga vanished around the corner, the crowd realized what had just happened – their favorite champion, the hero of light, had been utterly decimated by a complete newcomer.

Cries of outrage began to spread, but by the time they were significant, those two were long gone, and the next fight was well underway, regardless of the audience.

Iori smirked as Geese Howard cracked his knuckles as he stood before King.

* * *

It was weird, Ranma mused. Watching the doctors fight to keep Shampoo alive through a window, that is. The girl had already flatlined once during the last hour, though the doctors had been able to bring her back. Just now, she'd flatlined again, and all Ranma could do was watch as they applied the defibrillator. It was ironic, he mused. Energy like that was what had caused her heart to stop in the first place, and now they were applying more to get it to start up again. 

His fists clenched and he never noticed the fact that he was drawing blood. Shampoo's condition had turned out to be worse that it had looked, and that was saying something. Considering the amount of ki Benimaru had pumped into her, it was surprising she was still alive and that she hadn't been burned inside out. The ki running through her body had stopped all bodily functions, caused muscles to seize up, and fried nerve endings.

Even if she made it, there was no guarantee she wouldn't carry any lasting brain damage.

There wasn't much the doctors could do to help her, either. After the initial tests, they had concluded that there was no operation, no medical procedure, nothing they could do but administer drugs to try and kick-start her organs and relax her muscles. Ranma wished not for the first time that Cologne were with them. With her vast knowledge of esoteric healing and pressure point techniques, the ancient woman would have had no problem speeding up her great-granddaughter's recovery, Ranma was sure of it. If only he had been faster to reach Joketsuzoku, if only the amazons hadn't been so stubborn and tried to reach for power again. If only he hadn't failed Cologne and Ukyo…

Ranma shook his head. Blaming himself for their deaths would not help Shampoo, and would only lead down a road he had been on before. It hadn't been pleasant, and he knew that he would be hurting a lot of people if he did it again. Shampoo would most certainly kick his ass for it when she woke back up.

But Cologne wasn't there, and neither was Tofu. The good doctor had remained in Nerima to maintain his clinic, but he had been on a trip the last few months, and as such had not been reachable. Without either one, the doctors had done all they could. Now, it was up to Shampoo.

Ranma knew Shampoo was fighting for her life – he'd seen it in her eyes for the brief moment she had been lucid. But this was not the kind of fight Ranma felt comfortable fighting. This was not the kind of fight he could help her with. This wasn't a problem he could solve with his fists and his wit. This was something that was entirely up to Shampoo's will to live, and he didn't doubt for a second that the young amazon was fighting, he just feared it wouldn't be enough.

Even so, he silently begged her to survive, urging her on, knowing that she couldn't hear him, but hoping she could feel his support. He couldn't take the loss of another friend so soon.

If anything, a part of him noted absently, it was even more incentive for him to continue studying medicine, as he had discussed with Kasumi seemingly a lifetime ago. In a morbid kind of way.

"How is she?"

The strange voice was heavily accented, but it held the authority of someone very, very dangerous.

Ranma turned around to come face to face with the huge blonde man who had introduced himself on Togenkyo. Wolfgang Krauser, the "Emperor of Darkness," was well deserving of that title. The man practically reeked of dark ki, and the aura of power that constantly surrounded him was almost tangible, even without any effort on Krauser's part. Most of the people in the tournament gave him a wide berth when he passed through, and the only people he really associated with were his half-brother Geese Howard, Rugal, and Iori.

In other words, the man was insanely, frighteningly, powerful.

And now, Ranma, Ryoga, Mousse, Shampoo, Nodoka, and Kasumi had been added to that list. When he had introduced himself on Togenkyo, Krauser had to admit he was surprised none of the fighters from Nerima – or even the noncombatants, like Nodoka and Kasumi – had been scared of him. Awed by his power, yes, but not even that had lasted for long. The German had seen the expression on the martial artists' faces a million times before in the mirror – it was the desire to challenge someone stronger, and this time, it was directed at him. He had felt that they were powerful in their own right, and highly skilled, and he looked forward to fighting them.

He respected them for that, and for the fact that they didn't hold back in their bouts. To see one of them injured like this because of another fighter's pride had been, in Krauser's eyes, a grave slight to their honor. Though the German didn't show it, he was hoping Shampoo would recover, and he knew Ranma was very worried about her.

Ranma eyed the tall man for only a second before returning his attention to the observation window. He didn't know what to make of Krauser. He knew the man was very powerful, and when they had first met, he, much like his friends from Nerima, had been in awe of his power. That awe had quickly faded as they looked forward to challenging him to see if they could match that kind of raw power. Krauser had been a man of few words on Togenkyo, though Ranma suspected the man adhered to some odd code of honor. He also knew that the man was a brutal and merciless fighter who cared little for other people, and so he wondered what exactly Krauser was doing here.

From the way Krauser had demolished his opponents with devastating moves, Ranma didn't figure the man to be one to hang around hospitals very much. "She's hanging in there," he replied, his attention already riveted on his friend behind the glass.

"She has the heart of a warrior." Krauser either didn't notice or didn't care that Ranma wasn't in the mood for conversation. The pigtailed young man merely nodded in agreement.

Unheeding, the blonde man continued. "If she has not surrendered before, she will not do so now. Her spirit is strong, and it is fighting. Can you not hear it? Can you not feel it? Trust in it."

"That should've been me lying in there," Ranma finally said after a long pause.

"Why do you say that?"

Ranma shook his head in regret. "I was lined up for the first fight, but Shampoo insisted she could take him. She didn't want me to hog all three of them again."

Krauser eyed the young man, his eyes boring deep into Ranma; the Saotome heir squirmed, feeling as if Krauser's gaze was boring deep into the core of his being.

"Tell me, why is it that you fight?" Krauser asked suddenly.

Ranma shrugged. "I enjoy the Art."

"That is why you practice it, and live by its code, but why do you fight? Your battles, Herb, Saffron, Firkraag…even the amazons and demons. Why is it that you fight these battles, instead of leaving them to your friends?"

"I wouldn't be a very good friend, then, would I?" Ranma snorted disdainfully.

"Point taken. But why not let someone else deal with them? Why not let those responsible for their problems reap the consequences?"

"I fight…" Ranma suddenly realized what the German was asking. Krauser smiled as the realization dawned on the younger fighter. "I fight so they don't have to. I fight so they don't get hurt."

"You fight because you care." Krauser smiled briefly. "And that is what makes you a true warrior in spirit. That is why we warriors, like you and me and her, continue to fight and why we never give up."

"Because we can't afford to loose when we're protecting others," Ranma finished.

Krauser merely nodded, and Ranma arched an eyebrow in surprise. The German had surprised him. He'd initially taken him for yet another glory-hound who was good at fighting, but ultimately fought for the wrong reasons, but no one who fought for those wrong reasons could have comprehended what Krauser had just asked him. No false warrior would have been able to speak of protecting others.

"I see." Ranma finally said. "I trust her. She'll make it. She's strong."

* * *

"Are you all right, Ranma-kun?" 

Kasumi's gentle voice drew Ranma's attention from Shampoo's sleeping form. The lavender-haired amazon had been released from the intensive care ward shortly after his conversation with Krauser, and neither of the two had been able to suppress a small smile as Krauser's prediction had turned out to be true. The doctors had projected Shampoo was no longer in life-threatening danger. All that was left now, was to monitor her condition and let her rest until she awoke by herself.

The watch had rotated from Mousse, to Nodoka, to Kasumi, to Ryoga, to Ranma, and finally back to Mousse. Ranma, who had come in with Ryoga, had finally managed to force Mousse to get some sleep in the empty bed on the other side of the room.

"I'm all right." Ranma blinked as the rest of his surroundings began to filter back into his awareness.

"Here." Kasumi handed him a cup of steaming tea with a soft smile.

He took the cup gratefully. "Thanks. What time is it?"

"Almost five in the morning."

"Wow." Ranma drained the tea in a single gulp, the warm liquid quickly banishing the last remnants of his disorientation, leaving him feeling relaxed and exhausted.

"You should get some sleep. Mother is in the room next door, there's a free bed there."

Ranma shook his head. "Who'll watch over her?" He knew Kasumi meant well, but a part of him still felt that Shampoo's injury was his fault. After all, the fight with Benimaru should have been his. He owed it to her to watch over her until she woke up.

"I will." Ryoga closed the door behind him. "Don't worry about it, man."

Ranma smiled tiredly. "Shouldn't you be sleeping?"

"You're one to talk." Ryoga chuckled as he pulled up a chair. "Thanks," he told Kasumi as she handed him a cup of tea, as well.

"You're welcome, Ryoga-kun." Kasumi smiled, but instead of sitting down in the chair Ryoga offered her, she settled in Ranma's lap. She giggled at her husband's slightly surprised expression.

Ranma's surprise vanished quickly enough, and he wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Getting comfy there, aren't we?" Ryoga chuckled as he sat down himself.

Ranma shrugged, his eyes drifting back to Shampoo.

"Idiots," he whispered. The look of pain in her eyes would be haunting him for a long time. It brought back the feelings of helplessness and anger and pain that he had hoped to never experience again after Ukyo and Cologne's deaths.

That particular wound was still raw; sometimes he felt like it was just yesterday that he had found Cologne's body buried under rubble and Ukyo dying with a dagger through her heart.

"There's arrogant asses like them everywhere," Ryoga noted. "Hell, I mean, look at us. For the longest time I didn't care what I did or who I hurt to get my revenge," the lost boy added with a wry smile.

"He almost killed her. Even when you were obsessed with killing me, you wouldn't have killed other people." Ranma placed his chin on Kasumi's shoulder as she leaned back into him.

"I'm not so sure about that." Ryoga frowned. "I was going down a pretty dark path."

"But I'm sure. Don't worry about it, Ryoga."

Kasumi sighed. Her husband's attitude towards the tournament had just done a complete one-eighty. Still, she was glad the doctors had announced that Shampoo would make a full recovery.

"She's strong," Kasumi told the two boys, as if it would mean everything.

It did.

"Yeah. She's a fighter, Ranma. Ain't no way she's gonna let herself die to a moron like that."

"Ryoga-kun, language!"

"Sorry." Ryoga smiled sheepishly.

"Even if it's true," Kasumi giggled.

Ranma relaxed. With his studies in medicine lately, he knew enough to at least understand the gist of the medical reportthe doctors had handed them. Kasumi, while no Tofu, with all the books she had read and all the studying she had done over the years, was practically an expert on the subject, and if she confirmed that Shampoo was going to be fine, then he trusted his wife's opinion.

Besides, he could feel it, just like Krauser had said. Shampoo was strong, and she was fighting. And she was winning.

"What're you still doing up again, anyway, Kasumi-chan?" Ranma blinked in an effort to keep his eyes open. The fatigue of the day caught up to him, and he suppressed a yawn.

Ryoga shot him a mock-glare. "She's **still** up because of you. Girl's been almost as worried about you as she has been about Shampoo."

Slapping Ryoga's shoulder playfully, Kasumi turned towards her husband with a gentle smile. "Don't listen to him, Ranma-kun. I did get some sleep earlier, but I do admit I was getting a little worried about you."

"I'm not the one lying in the hospital in critical condition," Ranma sighed.

"No, but you can't deny it hit you pretty hard."

Ranma could practically see Kasumi's no-nonsense expression. He knew it well – it was the same expression Nabiki had when she was about to close a deal without taking a no for an answer. It brooked no arguyment, but he knew she was right, anyway.

"Yeah."

Ranma and Ryoga shared a quick look. All three of them knew what went unspoken, but only Ryoga actually understood the full weight of the grief Ranma carried around – the lost boy felt the same, after all.

Kasumi noticed the look that passed between the two and sighed. While she was glad that she had not had to bear witness to what had happened, it also meant that all she could do was provide her husband with what little comforting she could, as she couldn't really share the entirety of his emotions.

"Sorry, Kasumi."

"Hm?" The eldest Tendo daughter turned in Ranma's lap at the sound of his voice.

"For keeping you up."

"That's quite all right, Ranma-kun."

The pigtailed martial artist rose, pulling Kasumi up with him. "Sleep sounds good."

"Good." Ryoga smirked. "And don't show your face till morning."

Ranma managed a weak smile. "Coming, Kasumi-chan?" The young woman nodded, and the couple left the room.

Ryoga's eyes wandered back to Shampoo. "You'll be all right, y'hear me?"

Almost as if in reply, Shampoo's head tilted forward in an almost imperceptible nod as she slept.

The lost boy smiled, reached out to cover the girl's hand with his own, and settled in for his vigil through the night, resting easily in the knowledge that his friend would be fine.

Ranma blinked in surprise as he stood before the free bed. The only free bed.

"I'll sleep on the floor," he said reflexively.

"Don't be silly," Kasumi giggled. "We're married, there's nothing improper about it, or did you forget our wedding night?" The young woman blushed slightly in remembrance, as did her husband.

"Oh, right." Ranma scratched the base of his pigtail sheepishly.

"The brunette girl pouted cutely. "Or do you not find me attractive anymore, Ranma-kun?" She knew that physical attraction wasn't even a major point in their relationship; Ranma loved her for who she was, and she loved him just as well, and that was that. But sometimes he was so easy to tease, she thought.

"Of course not!" Ranma's eyes flew open, and he smiled sheepishly. "Sorry, Kasumi-chan. I don't think I'm all there at the moment."

"That's all right." Kasumi smiled and climbed into the bed, pulling back the covers next to her in invitation. She was glad he was feeling better. After seeing his murderous expression when he had arrived at the hospital after trashing the Kusanagi heir, she had feared that he would once again descend into the depression he gone into. It was good to see he was rising to her teasing. She squeaked as she felt a hand pinch her rear, and grinned. "My, you're feeling fresh today, aren't you, Ranma-kun?"

The pigtailed young man matched her smile as he climbed into bed next to her, and quickly pulled her into his arms. It had taken some time, but Kasumi had eventually managed to break him of his shyness around the female body. In fact, considering his curse before the Jusenkyo magic had burned itself out years before, he was…uniquely suited to understand the female body. And that, coupled with the myriad of shiatsu techniques he knew, and his natural dexterity and flexibility as a martial artist had made for…interesting bedtime adventures on their wedding night. Kasumi giggled softly. "Wild Horse," indeed.

"Kasumi?"

"Yes, Ranma-kun?"

"Thanks."

"What for?" Kasumi turned around, puzzled.

"Everything." Ranma leaned forward and placed a long, slow kiss on her lips.

_Oh my_, was Kasumi's last coherent thought.

* * *

"You failed." 

"Don't worry, we've got a surprise in store for them." Yashiro grinned at the cloaked figure.

"The two hakkeshu?"

"We made sure they'll do their job in time."

"And that stupid bitch of a Yata still hasn't told anyone about us," Shermie added, flipping her long red hair over her shoulder.

"Good. The time is almost here. Are you prepared?"

The fourth person in the group nodded. "Sure are. Orochi-sama will be most pleased." Chris helt out his palm, a baseball-sized flame of the purple Magatama no Orochi forming in it.

Yashiro placed a hand on the boy's shoulder. "Without the Shingi Trioca, they won't stand a chance, except maybe the Saotome boy. The kid's got more power potential than Krauser, though he has yet to develop it."

"I will take care of him." The cloaked man turned around and lift into the shadows, leaving the newly defeated New Face team to their devices.


	13. Chapter 13: The Man Named Goenitz

Author's Notes: I apologize for the shortness of this chapter, but I figured that was a good place to end it. Chapter 14 is written, and I'm in the process of typing it up, and I've started work on chapter 15. Enjoy!

Chapter Thirteen: The Man Named Goenitz

It took six days for Shampoo to regain consciousness. During that time, none of Nerima's inhabitants left her side. Surprisingly, a lot of the tournament's participants also came to express their wishes for her well-being, most notably Terry Bogard, Geese Howard, Yagami Iori, and Wolfgang Krauser. Shiranui Mai also dropped by, dragging her boyfriend Andy Bogard along. Terry's younger brother didn't seem too pleased at all to meet them, but Mai had been insistent. Not to mention the fact that she thought Ranma was rather handsome, and while he was married, she could still flirt, right? In fact, the bubbly kunoichi probably spent more time around the pigtailed martial artist than Andy would have liked, especially since she had been unable to join the tournament this year because of a still-healing injury.

Fortunately for them, the result of the second tier fights left a lot of the fighters incapacitated, causing Rugal to place the matches on hold until they had recovered.

Benimaru and Kyo were both released the day after Shampoo woke up, and enthusiastically greeted by their fans, who went to great lengths to get the Anything Goes team disqualified.

The Boss team's fight with the women's Team had left Todo Kasumi with a broken arm and a concussion, while Rugal himself had suffered two broken ribs and no less than fourteen dislocated joints in return. It was just too bad that none of these joints were on his legs, because his last, desperate _Genocide Cutter_ had effectively ended the fight.

The Ikari team had defeated the elders of the Veteran's team after a long and drawn-out battle. Ralph and Clark were left with numerous bruises and a few select broken bones, as were Heidern and Takuma. Saisyu and Leona were the worst off, however. Both had severe concussions, and Leona had a number of second-degree burns, while Saisyu had a long, deep gash across his chest courtesy of her _V-Slasher_.

The Fatal Fury team had managed to defeat the New Face team early on. Terry, after seeing what Chris had done to Ryoga, Mousse, and Saffron, had opened the fight with a _Burn Knuckle_ that had blasted the boy straight out of the ring. From there, the Lone Wold had proceeded to demolish Shermie and Yashiro without any major problems.

The New Face team had disappeared shortly after their defeat, but none of the others really noticed.

In the end, Kasumi was trying to hide her mirth as Andy came close to attacking Ranma. The pigtailed young man, for his part, was only staring in confusion as Mai tried to flirt with him unsuccessfully. The kunoichi pouted as Ranma seemingly ignored all of her advances – not that Andy seemed to notice that fact, the blonde was far too gone into his jealousy to notice Ranma wasn't returning his girlfriend's flirting. In the end, Ranma ducked as Andy launched himself at him, completely missing the pigtailed martial artist and launching himself out of the window with his _Chou Reppa Dan_.

Mai, despite her failed efforts to flirt with Ranma, had become fast friends with both him and Kasumi; she was shortly joined by the other Kasumi, of the Todo clan, as she was introduced by Akane. The blue-haired young woman and the brunette Kasumi hit it off quickly, and discovered they shared a common sense of humor as they continually confused others by responding to the same name. The two members of the Women's team had quickly found themselves drawn to Ranma's easy-going and friendly nature, though Mai didn't have nearly as much fun flirting with Ryoga as she did with Mousse. The amazon, for once, seemed to actually respond to a woman after getting over his obsession with Shampoo so long ago. Of course, Andy noticed this, as well, and the hospital's corridors heard echoes of a familiar battlecry more than once: "Mousse! Prepare to die!"

Apart from Andy, most of the people who visited Shampoo and the other Nerimians as they kept watch over the young woman had formed a tentative friendship based at the very least on their mutual respect for their fighting skills. Krauser and Geese had made up, much to Terry's amusement, though the two half-brothers still continued in their rivalry. Terry and Geese's truce had surprised a lot of the people, until they realized that Geese had made a huge effort to get back his wife Marie and his son, Rock. While those three, Krauser, Geese, and Terry, were far above the other people's average powerlevels, it wasn't something that deterred Ranma, Ryoga, or even Mousse, and Geese and Terry knew from personal experience that Ranma had a tendency to demonstrate that a lot of skill coupled with some power could more than make up the difference.

That little group of elite fighters had accepted the Nerimians into their ranks quickly, and while Todo Kasumi and Shiranui Mai were floating on the periphery more often than not, Kasumi's skill and Mai's perserverance had earned them even Krauser's respect.

On the other hand, the public's opinion was the exact opposite. After watching the Hero team get decimated and the crowd favorites Benimaru and Kyo sent to the hospital by the Anything Goes team, their popularity had dropped below the freezing point – not that any of them cared. The end result was that a veritable mountain of hatemail was piling up in front of Shampoo's hospital room, most of them from angry women who saw the amazon as the cause for Benimaru's injuries. It was a pile that Iori took a great pleasure in torching every morning.

Two and a half weeks after the end of the fights in Hong Kong, the Black Noah set sail for Japan again. Anchoring in Osaka Harbor, the fighters were moved to Kyoto. The semifinals would take place at the base of Mt. Hiei, the mountain that was home to an ancient shrine whose six arches overlooked the city that was Japan's historic millennium castle.

* * *

"Are you going to just stand there, or get me a vase and put those flowers in water?"

Ranma blinked in surprise as he heard her voice, still a little weak from her ordeal, and a little scratchy from a parched throat. The pigtailed martial artist chuckled sheepishly and grabbed an empty glass vase off the nightstand and left to fill it with water. He returned a moment later, the flowers he'd been carrying safely tucked into the vase.

"I thought you'd still be sleeping."

Shampoo grimaced. "I've been in this bed for a week already. I want to stretch my legs. I think I forgot how to walk by now."

"How're you feeling?" Ranma replaced the now filled vase from where he'd taken it next to her headrest.

"Stiff. Sore. Wide awake. Bored to death," Shampoo listed.

"Essentially, ready to get out of here?"

"Yup," Shampoo giggled.

Ranma pulled up a chair and settled down next to her bed. "The doctors said they'd let you go tonight, if you're feeling well."

"Why wait until tonight? I feel good now," the girl pouted. Her playful expression quickly turned to concern when she saw his eyes darken. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." The reply came quickly, too quickly for her. She knew when he was lying – that had been one of the few things that hadn't changed about Ranma. He had grown up over the years since they had first met, he had grown a spine, gotten used to thinking before talking, grown accustomed to interacting with women, he'd fallen in love. Other things hadn't changed, and would most likely never change. He was still honorable to a fault, fiercely loyal to his friends and family. He still never gave up, and he was still a lousy liar.

She reached up and did something she'd seen his mother do once. She grabbed on his ear and pulled him down to eyelevel. "Don't give me that crap," she scowled. "I know you're hiding something, so out with it before I beat it out of you."

Ranma sighed in resignation, knowing that she wouldn't let it go. His eyes lowered as he reached a hand up and removed her hand from his ear. "I guess I just…I don't know." His eyes remained glued on her hand as it rested next to her as he searched for the right words.

"Does it have anything to do with me fighting that guy?" The amazon prodded gently.

"Yeah, I guess." Shampoo was shocked to find that a tear had leaked from her friend's eye and landed on her hand.

"You almost died, Shampoo. We almost lost you for good. I don't know if you remember, or if you were even conscious, but your heart stopped beating twice. And it's all because I-"

Shampoo's slap came completely unexpected, and with such force that Ranma found himself staggering back a few steps. It was a far cry from her actual strength, but the act in itself caught him completely by surprise.

"Now that I have your attention, you'll listen to me," Shampoo started, her eyes lit up in anger. "And you _are_ going to listen, right?" When the pigtailed martial artist nodded dumbly, she continued, "this is _not_ your fault, do you understand?"

"But if I'd fought him instead-"

"If you'd fought him, you'd have beaten him down in a heartbeat, I've got no doubt of that. He's good, but not that good. I asked you to let me fight. I wanted to fight." Seeing that he understood, she nodded. "The only thing you did was let me fight him – and to be perfectly honest, I screwed up. I can take him, I know that, but I got cocky and I let myself get taken by surprise. Of course, he then went and tried to kill me, but that's not your fault, either. If anything, it's his fault for loosing it and mine for underestimating him."

"I could've just fought him instead."

Shampoo nodded. "That's true. But then I'd have kept annoying you until you let me fight. Or Iori would have. We're fighters, this is what we live for." She cracked a lopsided grin. "Do you really think we'd have let you get away with just blasting all the way through all the competition without letting us have a shot?"

"Not really, no," Ranma chuckled.

"Damn straight. If I hadn't fought him, I'd have fought someone else. Maybe that Kusanagi kid. Or maybe someone else. And this could've happened at any time, to anyone. It's a risk we all take. You know how we fight – until we drop. It was just my bad luck to get some psycho who'd loose it in the middle of a fight." Shampoo sat up and scooted back on the bed until she was sitting upright. "There was nothing you could have done. There was nothing that was your fault, so you'd better get that into your head now before I get out of this bed and pound it into your head."

Her easy grin and mischievous eyes told him she was kidding, but there was no mistaking the resolve to make good on her playful threat should he continue to wallow. "Like you could even touch me," he finally replied with a small grin.

"I'll take you on any day." Shampoo smirked and lightly cuffed him in the shoulder.

"And you even won, so you don't have to marry him," Ranma added with a mischievous grin.

Shampoo took a moment to realize what he meant, and when she did, her eyes widened in horror. "I didn't even think about that! Eww!"

"I don't know – he seems like a pretty good catch. Tall, handsome – according to his fans, at least – and a decent fighter. Not to mention an ego the size of the moon and arrogance and pride to match." Ranma looked contemplative. "You sure you don't want to challenge him again and loose?"

"Yeah, right. I could do _so_ much better than him." Shampoo wrinkled her nose in disgust. "And not to mention that arrogance of his almost got me killed."

"Yeah." Ranma's expression turned somber again. "But he didn't. You won. You're alive. Cologne would be proud. I know I am."

"Thanks." Shampoo leaned forward and pulled the pigtailed young man into a quick hug. "It means a lot to me, it really does." After a moment, she let go and pulled back. "So, I hear the next fight is with the Boss Team?"

"Yeah."

"So, which one of them is mine?"

Ranma laughed. "Which one do you want?"

"Hmm." The lavender-haired young woman rested her chin in the palm of her hand as the considered her options. "There's that sleazeball of a captain who owns the ship, I hear he's pretty good."

"He's also pretty perverted," Ryoga noted as he opened the door to the room. "Thought I might find you here, Ranma."

"Yo, Ryoga," the Saotome heir greeted his friend and rival. Shampoo merely waved and smiled at the lost boy.

"How do you know he's perverted?" Shampoo asked as Ryoga pulled up a chair.

The lost boy grinned. "I just saw him hitting on that kickboxer lady King, Akane, and Kasumi."

"**WHAT**?!" Ranma was up and out of his chair in an instant, his aura roaring to life in a dangerous red color.

"The other Kasumi," Ryoga added with a chuckle. The lost boy so loved the way Tendo and Todo Kasumi messed with people's minds with their names.

"Oh." Ranma's aura winked out of existence as he sat back down, and Shampoo broke out into a fit of giggles.

"So, what happened?" The amazon inquired after she caught her breath.

"Eh, he was running around from a trio of mallets, I think." Ryoga shrugged.

"Figures."

"Yeah. Anyway, your other choice in opponent would be Krauser and that Geese Howard fellow." Ryoga grinned at the prospect. "Man, I envy you."

* * *

"Hey, Ranma."

The pigtailed martial artist turned and grinned as Terry Bogard stepped off the porch. "Evening, Terry."

"It's nice outside, huh?" The American sat down next to Ranma.

"Yeah," the younger man agreed. It was dark outside, and the only sounds that could be heard were the splashes of the koi in the pond. The sky was clear, and Ranma had spent the last hour just watching the stars.

"This is a nice place."

The place Rugal had organized for them to stay at until the end of the fights was located in the heart of Kyoto. It was a traditional Japanese inn called the Aoi-ya that had survived through the times of the Bakumatsu and the Meiji Restoration, and prided itself on its history.

When Ranma had seen the place upon their arrival, he hadn't believed his eyes. The last time he'd seen Aoi-ya was during the Meiji Restoration, courtesy of Urd. The pigtailed young man smiled as he remembered the few weeks he had spent in the past that Urd and the shard of the Nanban Mirror had sent him to.

The building that housed them now looked every bit the same now as it had a hundred and twenty years ago. The place had been renovated and modernized, with flowing water and electricity, but other than that it looked exactly the same. To top it all off, the owner of the inn – a perky young woman who wore her long black hair in a braid that reached her mid-back – had introduced herself as Shinomori Misao, named after her great-grandmother.

"Yeah." Ranma smiled as he remembered. He glanced over at Terry. "They're nice people."

"You sould like you've been here before."

Ranma gave a non-committal grunt in reply, and Terry dropped the subject. The two lapsed into companionable silence for a while.

"You nervous?" Terry finally asked.

"Huh?"

"About tomorrow."

"Oh." Ranma shrugged, lying down on his back on the porch. "Not really."

Terry arched an eyebrow. "You're fighting Geese, Rugal, and Krauser first thing tomorrow morning."

"So?" Ranma chuckled. "It's just a fight."

Shaking his head, Terry grinned. "You're unflappable, aren't you. You're going to be fighting three of the most powerful martial artists in the world in the morning and you're treating it as if – as if you're sparring with Ryoga in the morning."

Smiling, Ranma glanced over at the American. "It'll be so much fun. Can't you feel it? They're so insanely strong."

"Most people wouldn't consider fighting someone called the 'Emperor of Darkness' fun," Terry noted with a chuckle.

"You can't tell me you're not itching to fight them, too," Ranma grinned. "This is what I live for; always looking for the next challenge. And man, is it going to be a challenge."

"No kidding. Take it from someone who's fought him, Krauser's insanely powerful. Look out for his finishing move. It's an insanely powerful ki-blast he calls the _Kaiser Wave_. At it's most powerful it could probably wipe out a good city block or two. I imagine Krauser's only gotten stronger since then. Speaking of challenge," Terry chuckled, "I hear Krauser issued a direct challenge to you for tomorrow. It appears you drew his attention."

"He did," Ranma confirmed, his smile anticipatory. "He's claiming the first round against me."

Terry leaned back. "I imagine. I'd love to fight you, myself. I've never seen someone take out Kyo so quickly. And your friend Shampoo's most definitely no slouch, either. Actually, I'd love to challenge either one of you sometime, if we don't get to fight in the tournament."

"Same here." Ranma grinned. "We'll probably meet in the finals."

"You seem confident." Terry couldn't help but chuckle at the insanely excited glint in the younger man's eyes.

"Of course. After all, Saotome Ranma doesn't loose. And neither does his team."

"I envy you."

"What for?"

"You get to fight Geese," Terry explained. "Not only that, but also Rugal and Krauser. Those three are probably the most powerful people on the planet. You get a chance to defeat them in front of the whole world."

Ranma chuckled. "I thought you'd given up on wanting to kill him?"

"I did, but that doesn't mean I gave up on beating him. No offense, Ranma, but I'm rooting for Geese this time."

"You really think Iori's gonna go down without a fight? Or Shampoo?"

The blonde laughed. "Good point. Especially after what she pulled off in the last fight. Is she going to be in top form for tomorrow?"

"Yeah. She's fully recovered."

"Good. Try and get some rest, then. Krauser's a really tough opponent."

"All right. Night, Terry."

"Night, Ranma."

* * *

For once, the only audience they had were the other participants of the King of Fighters tournament. The rest of the world would have to watch the battles on their TVs at home.

The arena Rugal had secured them was a walled area at the bottom of a ravine deep within Mount Hiei, accessible only by a maze of tunnels and caverns within the mountain. The walls of the ravine were blackened from a fire sometime in the past, and, as Ranma stepped out of the tunnels and into the open, he could feel the lingering, ancient ki that permeated the area.

The pigtailed martial artist shudderede at its intensity – the residual ki in the air must have been over a hundred years old . If it had remained this long, this strong, then this place must have been the site of a titanic battle.

He smiled. It was perfect for his showdown with Krauser.

The German was standing across from him, his fists raised. Rugal and the other fighters backed away, giving them space to fight. The two combatants eyes each other carefully, each trying to find an opening in the other.

"Are you ready?" Krauser asked.

"Let's go," Ranma replied, charging forward.

Krauser did likewise, both of them blazing with ki, blurring with their extreme speeds. The distance between them shrank to nothing in under a second. The taller German hauled back, thrusting his fist forward, intent on claiming the first strike.

Ranma saw the blow coming, but found himself unable to react in time, having already committed to his own attack. He only hoped that it would be an even trade.

* * *

"What do you think, Ryoga?" Mousse glanced at the lost boy as they watched Ranma and Krauser face off.

"He's strong," the bandanna'd boy commented. "Really, really strong."

"Yeah, but-"

"Ranma doesn't loose," Ryoga finished.

"And if he doesn't finish him, Shampoo will." Mousse glanced across the platform until he spotted the amazon's lavender hair. "By the way, I never really thanked you."

"What for?"

Mousse nodded his chin in the general direction of the young woman. "For helping Shampoo. For being there for her."

"What're you talking about? You were there for her, too. We all were." Ryoga snorted. "I still can't believe that jackass who almost killed her is being called a hero by the public while they didn't even bother with Shampoo."

"Yeah. But a few things happened after you and Ranma left. After Cologne's death, the remaining elders started fighting for the position of matriarch. Someone had to fill the power vacuum, but Shampoo didn't want to do it. I can understand why – politics is a dirty business. There's no honor in it, and I think if you do it too long, you'll loose it, too. But I think that really was the last straw. I wasn't there when it happened, I was with Herb, working out a few things for the reconstruction, but from what I hear she ended up disowning the tribe. Cologne wasn't even dead two days and they were already fighting on her grave and trampling her legacy."

Mousse sighed and adjusted his glasses. "She's taken to it really hard, because the tribe was our family, our home. Now, we're both homeless, clanless. We're what you Japanese would call ronin, but you and Ranma and his mother and the Tendos have made us feel welcome, at home. Like we belong here. Ranma and I haven't always gotten along, heck, you know that probably just as well as Ranma does, but he's been more than a friend. He's been a brother to me and Shampoo. Nodoka-san has taken us in without hesitation, and accepted us despite the fact that we've caused her son immense grief in the past. You all being there for her really means a lot to her, and me. So…thanks."

Ryoga placed a hand on the amazon's shoulder, and nodded. The two remained like this until the inactivity in the ring broke, and the battle below began. Both young men blinked in surprise at the speeds at which both fighters charged at each other, flickering from sight. Both had seen what Ranma was capable of, and knew he wasn't holding back.

"Wow," Ryoga muttered as he barely followed his friend's charge across the arena.

An inhuman shriek behind them distracted them from the battle, and they spun around to a sight neither of them knew what to make of.

Iori was slouched forward, even more so than usual, with his arms hanging straight down, hands tensed into claws. Steam was coming out of his ears and mouth, and when he tossed his head back to let out another earth-shattering yell, his eyes, pupils and all, had turned an unnatural milky white.

"Uh…Ryoga?" Mousse stared in shock. "What the hell is that?"

The lost boy shook his head rapidly. "No idea, but it doesn't look like he's gonna be too friendly."

A second, ear-splitting screech echoed through the air, and both martial artists turned to watch as Heider's blue-haired adoptive daughter swatted Terry to the side as if he wasn't there. Judging from her inhuman appereance and the smoke coming out of her ears and mouth, she was much in the same state as Iori.

Their short distraction cost the two boys as Iori covered the distance in between them in a single leap, and backhanded both of them, sended them flying off the overhand and into the arena below.

* * *

"Ranma's going to win." Shampoo crossed her arms over her chest, her tone final. Terry couldn't help but chuckle at the young woman. They had been discussing the possible outcomes of the fight when Shampoo continued to insist that there was no way Ranma would loose. Terry knew the pigtailed martial artist was an excellent fighter, and that skill-wise he probably had every single person in this tournament beat hands down, but Krauser was no slouch in terms of skill.

Also, as Terry knew from experience, the German could bring to bear massive amounts of power, more than enough to easily level the entire mountain, if he wanted to. Ranma was good, and Ranma was fast, but skill could only take you so far. If Krauser continued to pump his ki reserves into speed and strength, Ranma would eventually tire and the German would be able to just blow through his defenses with sheer speed and strength.

"What makes you so sure?" Terry smiled at her confidence in the pigtailed young man.

"He never looses when it matters. And it matters now." Shampoo turned to look at the American. "We can all feel it. That man has probably the most powerful aura any of us have ever felt. He probably has more raw power than Saffron, but you don't know Ranma. Saffron had significantly more power than Ranma back then, and he still won."

"Why would it be such a big deal if he lost now?" Terry asked, unsure why the girl brought up the life-and-death battle the Saotome heir had fought with Saffron at Jusendo a few years earlier.

Shampoo smirked. "Oh, it's not a life-and-death battle. Actually, in some ways, it's something even bigger than that. This is what Ranma lives for. What we all live for. To challenge someone as overwhelmingly powerful as that man, to test our strength and skill against him, and to overcome. This is why we practice the Art. To grow and adapt."

The passion she spoke with, and the words that echoed from his conversation with Ranma the night before caused Terry to smile. These were the kinds of people he knew would bring honor to their Art, because they fought for the right reasons. "What do you think, Leona?" The blonde man turned to look at Heidern's blue-haired daughter.

When she didn't reply, Terry placed a hand on her shoulder. He realized something was wrong when he felt an insanely strong blow to his chest that sent him flying. The last thing he saw before he crashed into a wall was mily-white eyes shrouded by steam – the red-tinted steam of boiling blood.

He would recognize those symptoms anywhere, especially after the last King of Fighters tournament.

It was the Riot of Blood.

Terry shook the cobwebs out of his head and winced as he felt a bruise forming on his chest where Leona had given him the equivalent of a friendly pat.

A roar from the other side of the platform caught his attention, causing him to freeze dead in his tracks. "Oh shit."

An answering growl came from Leona, who was stalking towards Terry after leaving a bloodied and beaten Kim and Andy behind her. Joe got in the way, attempting to _Tiger Kick_ her, but the Mu Thay boxer only succeeded in earning himself four deep gashes across his stomach in the process.

"_Reppuu-Ken_!" Geese's shout was drowned out by the explosion of dark ki as the blast connected with Iori over to the left, and Terry felt some relief that someone was still standing and trying to slow down the Insane Orochi Warrior.

Taking his cue from Geese, Terry rose and waiting until Leona was in range. "_Power Wave_!" He punched the ground in front of him, sending a wave of ki towards the Orochi-possessed soldier. Not waiting to see the effects of his attack, he launched himself from his croush into his trademark _Crackshot_.

As he'd expected, Leona walked right through his ki-wave, stopping only for a moment to absorb the impact. That instant was enough for Terry to flip in mid-air and bring down a vicious axe kick on her collarbone.

The American could clearly hear the bone snapping and allowed himself a victorious smile that only lasted for half a second. Undeterred by the debilitating injury, the possessed Leona grabbed a hold of him, and Terry felt his world explode into green as her Orochi-blood enhanced ki burned to life around him, unhindered by the broken bone in her shoulder.

"_Kaiser Wave_!"

Leona rocked forward from the blow, releasing her hold on Terry. The blonde lay on the ground trying to force air into his abused lungs for a few seconds before getting back to his feet. For the first time in his life, he admitted, he was glad to see Rugal. While his low-powered copy of Krauser's final attack wasn't enough to take down Leona, it had been enough to get her attention.

The modern pirate was still launching ki-blast after ki-blast at the blue-haired woman as fast as he could charge them, and even without Krauser's massive ki-reserves, the _Kaiser Wave_ was still ridiculously powerful for a ki-blast. Still, it could do little more than further irritate Leona. A few steps later, she reached Rugal and grabbed a hold of the front of his shirt through an unfinished ki-blast. The pirate winced as her claw-like nails dug deep into his skin, drawing blood.

The soldier lifted him up, intent on tearing open his chest, when Rugal drove an elbow into her forearm, knocking it down and sideways. The instant he regained his footing he kicked back up, bellowing, "_Genocide Cutter_!"

Rapid kicks slashed into the possessed woman's torso, blurring with their speed as they distorted the air around them. From the side, Terry could see blood spraying through the air as the pressure waves sliced deeply into Leona'sskin. She flew backwards from the force of the attack, but rolled back to her feet almost instantly.

"_Burn Knuckle_!" With a savage yell, Terry rushed towards her, his fist shrouded with his ki.

* * *

The inhuman cries from the platform above caused both Ranma and his opponent to stop dead in their tracks. The pigtailed martial artist suppressed a shudder when he saw Krauser's massive fist hovering a hair's breadth form his left eye. His own hand, in turn, was a scant few millimeters away from delivering a devastating blow to the German's throat.

The two shared a short look, then turned their attention to the commotion above. They leapt apart when Mousse and Ryoga crashed into the middle of the arena in a heap of groans and complaints. Ranma was concerned for them until he heard Ryoga let out a string of curses that caused the pigtailed martial artist to smile. If Ryoga had enough energy left to swear like that, then he wsa fine. In fact, both he and Mousse were already getting back to their feet.

"What's going on up there?" Ranma asked.

"No idea," Ryoga replied as he dusted himself off. "Iori and Leona just went crazy and started tearing up the place."

Krauser's eyes narrowed as he felt the dark ki emanating from the two above. "It's the Riot."

"Riot?" Ranma blinked in confusion.

"The Riot of Blood," Krauser growled. "Damn that priestess. She _knew_. She had to."

Sky-blue eyes opened wide in realization. "You mean this is the Orochi power she was talking about?"

"Yes." Kauser nodded. "Kagura-san must have known about this. There's on way she couldn't have not known, especially after last year."

"What happened last year? What the hell is this Riot you're talking about? It almost looks like some kind of berserker state." Mousse asked.

"Iori and Leona both are of the cursed Orochi bloodline. Last year, something triggered it, and they went into the Riot of Blood. You are right in that it is a berserker-like state, but there's more to it. Their conscious mind is overriden by the dark ki within them, the same ki that grants them their accelerated healing and Magatama no Orochi. They turn into mindless killing machines that feel neither pain nor remorse, until they snap out of it. What triggers it is no known." Krauser's reply left the three other martial artists from Nerima silent for a moment.

"So," Ryoga finally said, "how do we get them out of it?"

"We force them to burn through their ki," Krauser said simply.

"So we just beat them down?" Ryoga cracked his knuckles. "Not a problem."

"It's not that simple," Krauser continued as a section of the stairwell above exploded into purple flames. "They possess inhuman strength and endurance. Fatal injuries would not even slow them down, and all damage from but the most powerful techniques will be healed almost instantly."

"We've got to stop them." Ranma's eyes swept over the platform above, trying to make sure where everyone was. "Looks like our fight will have to wait."

"I agree. Let's go." The four of them started for the stairs when the bottom section of the stone stairwell exploded outwards violently, forcing them to shield themselves from the shrapnel.

"Well, well, well." Four people walked out of the hidden passageway that had been concealed behind the stairs. A tall man with short-cropped blond hair and a flowing blue cape walked until he stood just out of reach of Ranma and his companions. Flanking him were Chris, Yashiro, and Shermie.

"My name," he said as he bowed theatrically, "is Leopold Goenitz. Welcome to the Infernal Hall."


	14. Chapter 14: Divine Wind

Author's Note: Sorry for the delay in updating, but I got busy with moving, and I had a host of other ideas for other stories floating around in my head - they're still in there, but at least I've got them all noted down now, so that I can get to writing them...sometime. Enjoy the next installment of "The Longest Journey"!

Chapter Fourteen: Divine Wind

Geese frowned as Iori got up for the seventh time after being tossed to the ground courtesy of the _Shinkuu Nage_. Seeing that the two Orochi-possessed fighters had all but taken out everyone on the observation platform except for himself, Terry, Rugal, and Shampoo, Geese decided to delay Iori rather than take him on full-force. Chizuru was off to the side trying to tend to the wounded; the former crime lord snorted in disgust at the sight. The still-injured Women's Team had put up a decent struggle, especially with Shiranui Mai helping, but Kyo's attempts at using his Magatama to combat Iori's super-powered Magatama no Orochi had done about as much as a fly trying to stop a freight train. The Kusanagi heir had gone down after a pathetically short fight.

So, seeing that he was the only one on his side of the platform who was in any condition to fight, Geese had decided that just defending and distracting Iori from the injured would have a better chance of success than trying to take him on directly. He knew full well that there was very little chance he would be able to take out a Riot of Blood Iori by himself, despite having gotten stronger over the years.

Geese backed away as Iori clawed at him. Seizing the red-head's outstretched arm, Geese set himself up for another throw when he decided to try something else. Bringing Iori up and around, he slammed the Insane Orochi Warrior into the ground, discharging the ki he'd been gathering in his fist in a point-blank _Raging Storm._

Iori screamed in rage as the dark ki poured into his body, warring with the Orochi power. He reached forward, raking his hands across Geese's arm, leaving bloody gashes behind. Green-tinted Orochi power exploded around the red-headed man, wiping out the _Raging Storm_ as easily as a match dropped into a bucket of water. The concussive blast forced Geese to release his hold and blew him backward.

Iori got to his feet as the blonde watched with an incredulous expression. With a feral snarl, Iori lunged for Geese, who leapt into the air to release a _Shippu-ken_ in return. What the crime lord didn't expect was for Iori to reach through the forming ki-blast and grabbing a hold of his leg to slam him into the ground. The air left Geese's lungs with the violent impact, but before he could reorient himself, Iori was upon him, tearing into his flesh with his hands in a bastardized version of the _Ya Otome_.

Pain exploded in Geese's chest as Iori clawed at his skin, blood spraying up from the violent assault. The blonde man blacked out from the pain as Iori's nails dug into his back, tearing out chunks of flesh. The last thing he heard before he lost consciousness was an angry, far-away shout that echoed through the air with its power: "_Kaiser Wave_!"

The brilliant wave of ki flared from the bottom of the arena, blasting into Iori with the force of a freight train.

* * *

"Who the hell are you?" Ranma could feel the danger in the aura of the blonde man who had introduced himself as Leopold Goenitz.

"I am a servant of the god Orochi. I am the Hakkeshu of Wind." Goenitz smirked.

"So you're behind all of this?"

"If you refer to the awakening of our god, then yes." Goenitz chuckled. "In fact, within the hour, Orochi will once again walk this world and cleanse it of those unworthy."

"Great, another one of you megalomaniac morons," Ranma muttered angrily. Out loud he said, "I'm getting really sick of people like you. Every time someone like you shows up, you make up excuses and pretend to want to do good, but all that happens is that people die. You're nothing but a bunch of power-hungry hypocrites!"

Ranma disappeared, re-appearing in front of the blonde man, his fist outstretched in a vicious punch that even Ryoga would have found hard to stand up from. Goenitz merely chuckled, stopping the punch with a single hand. The taller man raised his other hand to forestall any reply from the trio behind him as he returned his attention to Ranma.

"You are years from being able to take me on, boy," he said, closing his hand around Ranma's fist, crushing the bones and causing the pigtailed martial artist to hiss in pain.

"Only one person has the right to say that," Ranma growled as he reached up and twisting Goenitz's hand backwards in an Aikido grip, causing the blonde to release him. Glaring up at him, Ranma slid back into a defensive stance. "And she's dead because of people like you."

Ryoga glared at Goenitz as well, before turning his attention to the three people accompanying him. Ryoga and Mousse had remained silent during the exchange, not entirely getting the situation as they had missed Ranma's conversation with Chizuru earlier.

"Hey Ryoga," Mousse flicked his wrists, catching a hatchet in each hand. "You want the girl, or the pretty-boy?" The myoptic amazon noted grimly that Krauser's attention was riveted on the youngest of their opponents. The fact that so strong a fighter was giving the young boy his undivided attention meant that the German knew the kid was dangerous. Their recent defeat at Chris's hands still fresh in their memory, both Ryoga and Mousse were prepared to let Krauser deal with him in favor of helping Ranma.

The German was fixating Chris with a penetrating glare that practically screamed a dare at the boy to try something and regret it.

"Don't you have somewhere to be, Mr. Krauser?" Christ smiled pleasantly, pointing up to the platform where those still standing were battling the Riot of Blood possessed Iori and Leona. A bright flash of light announced Geese's _Raging Storm_, only to wink out an instant later, to be replaced b an explosion of green and purple flame.

Krauser's eyes narrowed. The tall German turned, spreading his arms wordlessly. His body began to glow as he collected his ki around him. Joints could be heard popping and his muscles bulged as he fought to contain the energy within him. Everyone around him stopped, seven pairs of eyes turning towards him, staring in awe at the amount of sheer power he was gathering.

The German's eyes snapped open the instant he was ready to unleash his ultimate technique.

"_Kaiser Wave_!"

The glow surrounding him flared up, becoming too bright for the naked eye to see. The seven other people averted their eyes as the winds picked up, tearing at their clothing. Krauser brought his arms together with a thunderous roar, and the energy he'd gathered discharged in a single, titanic blast the size of his body. The wave of ki traversed the distance between them and the stairwell in a split second, exploding in a brilliant flash of light that left a gaping, thirty feet wide hole in the side of the cliff. Had any of them been able to see, they would have been able to spot sunlight shining through the hole from where the blast had punched through the mountain.

"Fight well, Saotome." With these parting words, Kraiser leapt upwards in a single bound, his massive body easily clearing the railing as he alighted himself on the platform above.

"So what's the deal, blondie?" Ranma turned his gaze back to Goenitz. Whatever was going on up there, he knew that with Krauser helping out, he wouldn't have to worry about it. Shampoo and Terry and Geese were there, too, after all.

"It's rather simple. I'll ask you if you are going to interfere with our plans. I'm not naïve enough to believe you'd actually join forces with us to revive Master Orochi, but if you swear on your life not to interfere, then you walk out of here, and we go our separate ways. You'll never hear from us again, and neither you, your friends, or your family will be harmed. Ever. Effectively, you'll have Master Orochi's protection for generations to come." Goenitz inclined his head. "After all, we're not barbarians. Master Orochi is not a bloodthirsty monster that seeks random, wanton destruction."

"And if I decide to tangle with you?" Ranma eyed the three flanking Goenitz cautiously.

"In that case, you'll have to be eliminated." Noticing the glance Ranma was sending Chris, Yashiro, and Shermie, he waved them off. "Don't worry about them. It'll be just you and me. And should you choose to battle me, you also have my oath that no harm will come to your family – unless they fight us."

"Yeah, right," Ryoga snorted. "Like that's going to happen."

Geonitz nailed the lost boy with a hard glare. "Don't impugn my honor, boy. If I give my word, I keep it."

"Why?" Ranma finally asked. "Why go through all this trouble? Does this Orochi really give you so much power that you're willing to kill so many people for it?"

"Resurrecting Master Orochi isn't about power – it never was." Goenitz rolled up the sleeve of his shirt, releaving a number tattooed there. "Fifty years ago, when I was a child, I lived in Germany. This is the number they gave me. Three-seven-five-two-six-one."

"You were-"

"In a concentration camp, yes. I am the only one of my family to survive the Holocaust. We were worked until we collapsed from exhaustion, and then forced to work some more. Until we couldn't stand anymore. Then, we were forced to watch those who could not be of any more use be dragged to the gas chambers and killed. We were forced to clean out the chambers, taking their bodies to be cremated. Then we had to bury their ashes." Goenitz rolled his sleeve back down. "Despite what you may think or may have heard, Orochi isn't evil. He's chaos impersonated, but he's far from evil. He brings justice."

"Justice?" Ranma asked incredulously.

Geonitz nodded. "Yes. Eradicating evil, righting wrongs, and even…bringing those unjustly slain back to life." He could see Ranma's eyes widen in surprise at the prospect. "Yes," he continued after spotting a glimmer of hope in the pigtailed martial artist's eyes, "Master Orochi is aware of what happened between Amaterasu and her daughter."

"Ranma- " Ryoga warned.

"He can bring them back?" Ranma asked, ignoring the lost boy's warning.

"He will bring them back. Orochi is the chaos that kept the gods in check, that forced them to always change. What happens without that chaos, the stagnation that results – you've seen what happens." Goenitz raised his fist. "This feeling of superiority of the likes of Amaterasu is not going to survive the rejuvenation that Master Orochi is going to bring."

Ryoga frowned. The lost boy wasn't liking the direction the conversation was going. While Ranma had gotten over the deaths of Cologne and "Ukyo he knew his pigtailed friend well enough that, deep down, Ranma still carried a measure of guilt over their deaths. Ryoga also knew that Ranma held a deeply rooted anger against the majority of the gods and goddesses. Given the events that had caused the deaths of their friends, Ryoga had no doubt that Ranma would move Heaven and Earth to bring them back.

A glance at Mousse revealed that the amazon could see it, as well. Both of them knew that Ranma would jump at the chance, any chance, to bring the back, even if it meant selling his soul to the devil.

"Ranma, listen to me." Ryoga placed his hand on the Saotome youth's shoulder. "Don't listen to him. He's trying to bait you."

"I know." Shrugging off Ryoga's hand, Ranma sighed. "It sounds great, but tell me, how many people are going to die when you succeed? How many people have you already killed?"

"None."

That wasn't exactly the answer that Ranma had expected. "What?" The pigtailed martial artist and his two friends blinked in surprise. Despite their surprise, Ranma could tell from the taller man's aura and tone that he was telling what he perceived to be the truth.

Goenitz chuckled at their incredulous expressions. "Don't look so shocked. I already told you Orochi wasn't evil. He hates meaningless death as much as you do. That doesn't mean he cannot rid the world of evil."

"Don't tell me," Mousse snorted, "you're going to hold a corny speech that will convince all evil in the world to lie down and shrivel away. You don't really expect us to believe you can convince every evil-doer in the world to change his ways by talking him out of it, do you?" The amazon adjusted his glasses as he finished.

"Talk will have but a small part in it," Goenitz countered. "It is true, there are people that cannot be reasoned with. However, there are those that can see reason, as well. That is my belief. A belief without which, I might add, we would not be standing here, having this conversation."

"So, how exactly do you plan to deal with those that don't agree with what you're doing?" Ryoga asked. "I mean, just the fact that you're willing to fight us if we oppose you kind of tells me that you're not all pacifist."

Goenitz smirked. "We would do battle, that is true. But killing would always be a very last resort. Others have seen the truth of my words freely. Others were convinced after they were defeated in battle, yet all of my opponents still live. A man named Sagat and a Yoga master named Dhalsim in India. A bouncer called Dudley in America. Numerous fighters here in Japan. They're all still alive. Master Orochi has his ways of teaching people the folly of their misguided ways. Without killing them." His glance wandered to Ranma, and as their two sets of blue eyes met, his expression softened somewhat at the barely shourded pain in the pigtailed boy's eyes. The expression lasted only a split second, before he schooled his features back into neutrality.

Ranma remained silent for a few long moments. "Why? What's the price?" Blue eyes hardened as they stared up at Goenitz. "And don't give me this crap about righting wrongs. That's all a bunch of bull, and you know it. There's always an ulterior motive, an ultimate price. What is it?"

"You are right, of course," Goenitz sighed. "There is a price to pay. After all, the Shingi Trioca paid a heavy price when they sealed Master Orochi, as well. Tell me, do you know how Orochi was sealed?"

"Yeah. The Yata, Kusanagi, and Yasakani tricked him into drinking eight barrels of wine as a sacrifice and then basically beat him down while he was drunk." Ryoga and Mousse, not having heard this explanation before, blinked in surprise.

Goenitz merely laughed, catching the martial artists by surprise. "You didn't really believe that, did you?" The blonde man snorted in contempt. His laughter died abruptly when he realized that they had.

"Think about it," Goenitz explained. "Orochi is a chaos god whose natural form is that of a sixty-meter tall dragon serpent. How much wine do you think it would take to get him intoxicated enough that three – admittedly powerful, but ultimately still human – fighters could beat him to the point where his life force was low enough to allow them to banish him? Why do you think the Kusanagi are so deathly afraid of the tainted Magatama no Orochi?"

Ranma frowned. Listening to Chizuru's explanation, he had indeed come across the same inconsistencies, but he had dismissed them in the face of an imminent danger to his family and friends. Now that Goenitz had brought this up, coupled with the fact that the man hadn't been lying when he said that his crusade to resurrect Orochi had not caused any deaths, cast a number of doubts on Chizuru's supposed motives.

"You're right, it doesn't make sense," the pigtailed young man finally admitted.

"Also," Goenitz spat, "Orochi doesn't take, and never took, sacrifices. Do you want to know the true story? Without waiting for a reply, he continued. "Orochi used to be a much revered deity of change. Chaos, as well, but in a good sense. The Yata, from whom the Kagura line is descended, were devoted priests of Orochi, at least until they realized that, in addition to their spiritual power, they also had come to hold immense political influence because of their positions."

"They got greedy."

Goenitz nodded at Mousse. "Correct. They had been granted a strong affinity to spiritual energy by Orochi in gratitude for their services, but they knew that even if their entire family combined their powers, they would not be able to match Orochi. Now enter the Kusanagi. They were one of the ruling families at the time, and hated the fact that they were loosing their hold on the people to an intangible entity. The Kusanagi were feared, because of their bloodline power of the magatama, which they claimed had been a blessing of the gods. Naturally, the Kusanagi and Yata tried to wipe each other out, but Orochi intervened every time, stopping a potential civil war that would have turned the Japan of the Warring States era into a desolate wasteland."

"So, how do the Yagami fit in?" Ryoga asked. The three of them had almost completely tuned out the battle overhead, barely taking notice of the fact that Krauser's presence had quickly put Iori and Leona on the defensive.

"The Yasakani – the original clan of the Yagami," Goenitz clarified, "were a minor family that loosely followed the teachings of Orochi. They were neither well-known nor deeply involved in politics. The Yata and Kusanagi figured they were the perfect scapegoat. After decades of fighting each other, the two clans had come to an agreement: if they wiped out Orochi, then control of the people would be theirs. It was a nearly foolproof plan; all they had to do was get rid of Orochi by banishing him, and the Yata could continue to act "in his name," as it were, while the Kusanagi would share their political power. Or they could finally have fought it out, after all this time."

Ranma growled as he realized where this was leading. "It's a good plan. Get rid of the real thing without anyone noticing and present some kinda fake puppet to the public."

"Indeed," Goenitz acknowledged the young Saotome heir. "All they had to do was trick Orochi into a position where he would be weak enough to be trapped. The Yasakani were perfect for that plan. They kidnapped a number of girls from the Yasakani homes, and placed them as a "blood offering" to Orochi, knowing that the Yasakani would find out. When the Yasakani warriors arrived, the blood of the women had already been spilled, and Orochi had been drawn by the blood magic and violation of nature. The Yata used blood magic, empowered by the dead Yasakani women, to hold him, their magic amplified a hundred times by the spilled blood. They managed to convince the Yasakani that Orochi was responsible, and they needed to fight his evil. Combining their powers, they managed to seal away Orochi."

Ranma, Ryoga, and Mousse were silent for a few long moments.

"How do we know you're telling the truth?" Ryoga finally asked, but the lost boy startled when Ranma shook his head.

"No, Ryoga, even if he's lying, he's got a good point. Several, in fact. Points that Kagura-san failed to elaborate on. Considering that he hasn't attacked us yet means one of two things – either he's an arrogant ass who's stupid enough to think he can take us on without big trouble," Goenitz bristled at that, "or he's telling the truth about a few things. And some things," Ranma noted with an almost sad smile, "they actually make sense now, like the blood feud between the Kusanagi and Yagami. Let me guess, the Yagami found out what they had been tricked into, and as soon as the Kusanagi knew they knew, they tried to wipe them out. The Yagami found a way to at least partially break through the seal, and made their pact with Orochi."

"Essentially," Goenitz confirmed.

"God, I can't believe I was so stupid!" Ranma hissed. "I let her pull the wool over my eyes with her "the world in in danger from an evil god" spiel!"

"You mentioned a sacrifice was necessary to bring Orochi back," Mousse brought the conversation back on track. "You can't believe we'd just stand there and let you sacrifice anyone!"

Goenitz held up a hand to placate the myopic amazon. "That blood sacrifice was taken care of by the Yasakani. You see, when the Yasakani managed to break through the Yata's seal, they did more than just make a pact for Orochi to lend them his power. Do you know why the Yagami bloodline is called cursed?"

Ranma shook his head.

"The Yasakani offered themselves as the blood sacrifice to free Orochi to atone for their part in sealing him away," Goenitz explained. "Orochi wouldn't let them, so they reached a compromise. For the next few generations, the Yasakani would be under a curse that would cause them to lead short and very violent lives, which usually resulted in the violent deaths of the male family members. That curse essentially shortened the life of any male Yasakani, causing the blood magic to slowly accumulate until such a time that Orochi could be freed."

* * *

"_Ryu Tsui Ame_!" Shampoo fired another ki-blast at the Riot of Blood-possessed Leona. The Orochi-blooded soldier ignored the condensed energy blast and proceeded to advance on her, causing the lavender-haired young woman to hiss in frustration. So far Leona had proven resilient to anything they had thrown at her, which, in the case of Shampoo's and Terry's more powerful techniques, had included a rather impressive amount of power.

Shampoo eyed the situation down in the arena during the split-second break Terry's intervening _Power Wave_ bought her, and was surprised to note that no fight had broken out yet. That was all the time she had before having to backflip away from Leona's charge. The older woman's Riot of Blood-enhanced strength easily punched a large hole into the rock of the cliff they were standing on, forcing Shampoo to shield herself from flying shrapnel. A piece of debris passed through her guard, trailing a long, bloody cut across her jaw.

The young amazon wiped away the blood angrily, before leaping forward in an elbow-strike that drove Leona back several feet. Still extended in mid-leap, Shampoo inverted her body to plant both of her feet in the older woman's gut. Her eyes widened in surprise when clawed hands took hold of her legs and she was brutally slammed into the ground.

Shampoo's vision swam from the force of the impact, and she was glad to feel her opponent releasing her in favor of facing Terry's charge with his trademark _Burn Knuckle_. Groaning as her sore muscles and bruises protested the movement, Shampoo forced her body to stand as she caught her breath. Terry could hold his own for the moment, she decided, and she couldn't help but admire the elder Bogard's stamina and skill as he slugged it out with Leona.

Leona. Shampoo had no idea what was going on. One minute she was talking to Terry about the fight between Ranma and Krauser, the next the blue-haired woman of the Ikari team had gone into a berserker rage that she had overheard Terry call the Riot of Blood. That had been all the time for thought she had before she had had to fight for her life.

Much to her chargrin, however, it appeared that whatever state Leona wsa in amplified her physical strength to ridiculous levels, and even if her skills were non-existent, the inhuman endurance more than made up for it. Shampoo had sparred with and fought against tough opponents before; Ranma was tought and Ryoga almost impossible to hurt, but the ease with which Leona now seemed to shrug off her most powerful ki-blasts and ignore debilitating injuries frightened the Amazon. Even Saffron had paused and felt the pain of his injuries before regenerating them, but Leona just flat out ignored them.

The fact that Iori appeared to be in the same state filtered through her mind, but she ruthlessly shoved it aside. Now was not the time to get distracted from the fight. Shampoo was about to rejoin the battle when a massive build-up of ki froze her in her place. Leona and Terry likewise paused, searching for the source, and Shampoo's eyes widened to impossible proportions when an insanely powerful ki-blast, one that dwarfed even the most powerful ones Ranma and Ryoga had thrown at Jusendo years ago, tore past her, annihilating a hige chink of rock where it impacted the side of the ravine. Krauser's massive body followed sa the German leapt up in a single bound.

Shampoo stood in awe as Krauser began to lay into Iori. The red-hbeaded man had been blsated off of Geese and even his Riot of Blood enhanced constitution seemed to take a few moments to recover from the blow. The force required for that feat alone wsa incredible, if Iori's state was at all comparable to Leona's, Shampoo thought. Add to that the fact that the ki-blsat had been fired with enough precision to hit Iori dead-on, but leave Geese completely unharmed, made the young Amazon wonder just how powerful the German really was.

_And this is the person that challenged Ranma?_ Shampoo asked herself incredulously. For one of the few times in her life, she was scared. Scared of the utterly overwhelming power this man wielded, yet at the same time, she felt the burning desire to fight him, as well, and she envied her pigtailed friend for the chance.

"_Power Dunk_!" Apparently, Terry had made full use of their distraction and launched himself high into the air, coming down with his battle-aura blazing around him like a fiery orange flame.

The ki-charged hammerblow floored Leona, and before she could get back to her feet, Shampoo had shaken herself out of her stupor and lunged at the soldier. Dedicing that her great-grandmother would forgive her for using one of the more dangerous techniques from the Joketzusoku archives, Shampoo jabbed three fingers into Leona's back. The Orochi-possessed woman bucked, tossing Shampoo off to the side like a ragdoll as she stood.

The Amazon could only stare in horror as the shiatsu points failed to work. _Is she some kind of inhuman monster?_

Leona roared in anger, then took a step forward, and another. She stood in front of Shampoo, eyes filled with bloodlust staring down at her. Leona reached back to strike, and Shampoo raised her arms to defend herself when Leona's hair suddenly returned to its natural blue color and the crazed look in her milky-white eyes turned to one of confusion as their color shifted to green.

The she collapsed, causing Shampoo to heave a sigh of relief.

"What the heck just happened?" Terry asked as he made his way over to her. The blonde man offered her a hand, which Shampoo was all too glad to take.

"Secret Amazon shiatsu technique," she explained as he pulled her to her feet. "It completely blocks the ki pathways through the body. Very dangerous."

"Very effective," Terry added as he checked on Leona's prone form. "Why didn't you use it before?"

"It blocks _all_ ki pathways." Shampoo allowed the words a few moments to sink in. When she saw comprehension dawn on the elder Bogard's face, she nodded. "Right. If a person looses all of their ki pathways, they die. Instantly."

"So…why didn't she?" Terry suppressed a shudder. The fight with Leona had been getting desperate, but he wsan't sure he would have taken that kind of drastic measures…yet.

Shampoo allowed herself a small smile. "She's still alive because the ki running through her body wasn't her own. Usually, blockage in ki paths can be broken if you can focus enough ki into them, which is why shiatsu blocking muscles never last long on a skilled ki-user. The pressure point blocks all the ki pathways at the same time – the victim's body responds by trying to defend itself by directing all of its ki to break through, which usually ends up with them burning through all of their ki, causing them to die."

"But?" Terry blinked in confusion.

"But it wasn't her ki. She was using some kind of other ki that flooded her body, which is probably what caused to go into this…"

"Riot of Blood," Terry provided.

"Right, this Riot of Blood. This other ki burned itself out, but after the pressure point wore off a few seconds later, her own ki continued to keep her body going."

Terry couldn't help but grin. "You've thought this through, haven't you."

"Well…yes." Shampoo's grin easily matched his own.

The two allowed themselves a moment to rest, but by the time they reached the other end of the platform, Krauser had Iori backed against the wall. The German was bleeding from multiple gashes all over his body, but he seemed to not even notice as Iori's hands gouged even more wounds into his skin. When the Orochi-possessed man lunged at him in a desperate attempt to get past Krauser, the blonde man reached out and grabbed a hold of Iori's arms, easily holding him in place.

Both of their forms began to glow as Krauser gathered his ki around him.

"_Kaiser Wave_!" The massive buildup of ki discharged into Iori, causing the red-headed man to scream in agony before slumping unconscious in Krauser's grip.

Then the arena below them exploded with light.


End file.
